Then and Now
by Charalampidis Gruber
Summary: In a bid to gain the trust of Team Voltron, Lotor provides them with the location of an Altean vessel that may contain more survivors of the nearly extinct race. Allura and the Paladins discover the Princess's former bodyguard "Nanny." Old tensions are reignited between Nanny and Coran as the two confront their complicated past. Coran/OC with background Allurance
1. Frozen

_Author's Note: Being a Coran fangirl and a hopeless romantic, I really wanted to craft a story about the gorgeous man! I decided to make an adaptation of the pleasantly plump 'Nanny' from the original Voltron as his love interest since she seems to be nonexistent in the Legendary Defender series. I hope you enjoy my big ole sloppy, cheese filled romance. I also want to apologize in advanced. I have epilepsy and my meds give me some weird memory issues among other things. If I miss any typos or errors feel free to PM me. Because this I'll be making lots of edits over the course of working on this! I appreciate the understanding. This has been edited into a "Safe for Work" version. If you'd like the more...NSFW version it's on my AO3 account!_

 _Now that season five has been announced, I just want to note that this fanfiction was written after season four. Thus it only takes into account everything thats happened up until that point. So whatever happens/happened in season five is obviously not brought up in this._

* * *

She tried to maintain a stone cold facade as the technician escorted her down the narrow halls of the ship. She felt like she was marching to her death. The only force pushing her forward was her unwavering dedication and loyalty to the crown. The glow of the blue lights illuminated the endless rows of sleep chambers that had been densely packed into the massive vessel. She couldn't tell which ones were empty and which were occupied. They were surrounded by hibernating Alteans but being this deep into the unknown territories of the galaxy, she still felt a crushing fear and loneliness. This is where she had been ordered to come but all she wanted to do was go back home. She pushed a stray strand of brown hair away from her round, olive toned face.

The technician skidded to a stop in front of a set of sleek metallic doors. The hem of his long white coat swayed as he briskly stepped out of the way of the console on the wall. His violet eyes darted to hers nervously as he gestured to the panel.

"I'm sorry, Miss Nordontu-," The technician began.

"Miz," She corrected through gritted teeth.

She'd been widowed for many years now and people still got the titles wrong. She didn't expect this stranger to be aware of that though. The technician blinked nervously and started typing into the console.

"Yes, sorry, Ms. Nordontu, it's just that your chamber is in the maximum security wing. Only you have clearance to open the doors," the technician stammered.

She awkwardly leaned forward and cleared her throat.

"Nayni Nordontu, Captian of the Royal Guard," she said into the voice recorder.

Even though her voice came out clear and strong, Nayni felt like she was crumbling apart. She was probably just as terrified as this young technician. The doors slid open silently and she followed the technician through. He was rushing. His boots slipping on the slick metallic floor. Nayni was grateful, she didn't want this to be dragged out. If she was to go into hibernation while her homeworld burned and her people died than she didn't want to spend another agonizing moment in that reality.

The technician skidded again to a stop and he anxiously looked over the three sleep chambers in front of him. He finally decided which one was to be her's. He nodded his head, his ears bouncing up and down. The footlocker beneath the chamber slid open but Nayni barely noticed. She just gazed into her reflection on the curved aquamarine barrier of the chamber. She was short but built like a battering ram. She always had been but her skin looked sickly now. The green markings on her face barely masked the crows feet starting to spread out around her eyes. Her dull brown hair was a mess. She'd tried to put it into a neat bun before she arrived at the vessel but it had been in vain. Nayni's facade wasn't very convincing. She looked just as much of a mess as this young technician.

"Your personal belongings will go in here," The technician said gesturing to the small empty footlocker.

Nayni reached her hand over her right coat pocket on her chest. She could feel the outline of the worn leaflet beneath the fabric. It wasn't going anywhere. It was going to stay right by her heart where it had been for years.

"I have nothing," Nayni said.

"Oh-okay, that's fine um-" the technician stammered.

He fumbled with the footlocker as he tried to get the door closed. The mechanisms were functioning perfectly well, it was just his sweaty palms that were making the situation difficult. He slammed the footlocker closed and started typing into the sleep chamber's interface. She could hear the clicking and whirring of the machine as it powered up.

"I'm sure everything will turn out just fine," the technician said.

They both knew it wouldn't. The Galra forces had torn through the galaxy like an all-consuming swarm. In the beginning, it had seemed like there would be some way out. King Alfor always managed to come up with a peaceful solution to problems but this time it just did not seem to come. Civilizations fell and the only plans their leader came up with were ways to help rebuild after the impending destruction. There wasn't any hope to save Altea anymore.

"Of course, this whole facility will have been an expensive and unnecessary detour if the war goes well," Nayni said.

Her instincts to comfort the young Altean overrode her need to be honest. The sleep chamber opened and she felt a rush of icy cool air caress her cheeks. This was either going to be where she died or where she'd be lost to the void. She couldn't see how this plan was going to actually work out but she trusted Alfor's judgment. Maybe he was just extending an easy escape to her because of her service or maybe he actually believed she'd be awakened later to help the remaining Alteans restore peace.

"Well, the Ark was designed to withstand anything that the universe could possibly throw at it," The technician said. "I'm sure when this is all over, we'll find some sort of use for it."

They both spoke as if they were in denial but she knew that they both were painfully aware of just how dire the state of things was. She climbed into the chamber. The walls felt softer then she imagined, like they were made of warm food goo, except they were icy to the touch. She barely fit in the chamber. Nayni's shoulders were pressing against both sides but it felt like there was enough room between the top of her head and the roof of the chamber to stuff the technician in with her.

He sighed and smiled at her halfheartedly. This was likely to be the last Altean face she would ever see.

"See you on the other side, Captain," he said solemnly.

Nayni reached up to give the technician a salute but the blue barrier of the sleep chamber closed. There was a brief moment of shock. Before a gasp could escape her lips her thoughts had ceased and she had succumbed to the void of slumber.

* * *

The rush of hot air cut through her like a knife. Nayni stumbled out of the sleep chamber as her knees collapsed beneath her. The tips of her fingers felt numb and her lungs ached as she sucked in the air around her. She could feel delicate hands running across her back. Her vision was too blurred to make sense of what was going on. She could hear multiple voices. It seemed like it had barely been an instant since she entered the chamber. Her mind was cluttered with frantic thoughts. The gentle hands helped settle Nayni against the wall.

"Nanny! Nanny, it's really you!"

She knew that voice. Nayni could barely decipher the world around her but she could never forget that voice. It sounded different. Stronger. But she still felt a rush of joy and sorrow when she heard it. Nayni's eyes burned with tears, blurring her vision even more but she still found herself smiling. It was her Princess. It was Allura. She had to get a hold of herself. Nayni had to see her face to be sure it was true. She started rubbing her eyes, shoving the thick globby tears away. She wanted with all her heart for this to not be some dream brought on by the chamber.

"Oh, Nanny, I never thought I'd see you again!" Allura cried.

She pulled Nayni closer to her in an embrace. Instead of a frilly dress, Nayni felt the slick surface of armor. Her hands trembled as she wrapped her thick arms around the slender frame of the Princess. Something felt wrong. Her body wasn't listening to her. She couldn't get her hands to stop shaking. The effects of the chamber were still hindering her. Nayni could hear other voices echoing in the hallway. Maybe it had been her neighbors. Allura had come and awoken all of them. That innocent technician had been right after all.

"Wait, you know her?" a young male voice asked.

"Why else would Allura be crying, Lance? Of course, they know each other."

The second voice sounded even younger. They sounded too young to have been occupants of the other sleep chambers. Allura pulled back and Nayni finally got a clear view of her face. She looked no different. She hadn't aged. She was still the beautiful, young Altean woman that Nayni had left behind. The beautiful brown skin of her face was glistening with tears. The pink helmet hid the cascading waterfall of silver hair but she could still see the curls tickling Allura's cheeks. It was really her. Nayni felt her breath catch in her throat. She was wearing Paladin armor. Something drastic had happened while she'd slept. Nayni cupped the Princess's head and felt her bottom lip tremble.

"You're—you're-" Nayni could barely speak.

Regaining control of her faculties was causing her more trouble than she expected. Allura helped Nayni to her feet. Her legs still quivered as she braced herself against a wall. The hallway was much darker than it had been when she stepped into the chamber. She could barely see in the din. The darkness left her with a sinking feeling. Allura kept a firm grasp on Nayni's arm as she turned to the others. Nayni could make out the silhouettes of three of them. All clad in Paladin armor but they clearly were not the Paladins she remembered.

"Pidge, please inform the Castle that we've found a survivor," Allura ordered.

The short one in the Green Paladin armor nodded.

"Looks like Lotor's intel was right, Coran, we found a survivor," Pidge said over the communicator.

Nayni felt her legs give in again but it wasn't due to sleep chamber knees.

"Hunk! Help me please!" Allura pleaded.

The massive one in the Yellow Paladin armor rushed over to help Allura keep Nayni on her feet.

Coran. That Paladin was talking to Coran. It had to be a dream. There was no conceivable way that both of them were safe. Everything had seemed so hopeless. Nayni had been certain when she stepped aboard the Ark vessel that she would lose both of them. Her head was spinning. If the Yellow Paladin wasn't holding her, she'd be on the floor by now. Coran Heironymous Wimbleton Smythe was still alive. She felt a flood of nausea and wondered if she was going to coat Hunk's armor with her own vomit. Nayni glanced at his face. He looked like he could be Altean but something didn't seem right. He didn't have any facial markings.

"I'm sorry, I'm going to vomit on you now," Nayni said weakly.

Her head doubled over and she, in fact, coated the Yellow Paladin's armor with her own vomit. He gagged and nearly dropped Nayni but Allura's grip was far too firm. The one named Lance was snickering to himself while Hunk groaned.

"Lance!" Allura snapped. "We need to get her back to the Castle! Stop laughing!"

The Blue Paladin came to take Hunk's place. Lance and Allura hefted Nayni up between them. Hunk groaned as he tried to wipe off the green bile from his armor. They were helping her make her way back down the hallway. It seemed as if only a few tiks ago she'd been making the walk here. Her legs seemed to drag beneath her. Nayni could barely tell them what to do. The other chambers were dark and dusty. When she arrived they had been clean and lit up. The whole facility had been glowing in their aquamarine hue. It started to truly sink in that much more time had passed then she could have imagined. Where were the others? The Ark facility was supposed to be filled with thousands of Altean citizens from every walk of life.

"Lurie," Nayni said. "The others?"

Allura's expression looked grim.

"You're the only one, Nanny," Allura grunted.

Lance tried to take on more of Nayni's weight but Allura simply tugged harder on Nayni's arm. The only one. Out of this entire facility. All the hopes and dreams invested into this place and Nayni was all that was left? The Ark had been designed to last for thousands even millions of years. What had happened? What had made it all fall apart? It felt like another gut punch. She swallowed hard. The nausea returned but Nayni had nothing left in her. There had to be more. It couldn't just be the three of them. The Altean empire could not have been reduced to three people.

"Its okay, Old Nanny, we'll talk everything over on the Castle," Lance said patting her back.

Nayni tore her arm out of Lance's grasp and shot him a venomous glare. Allura cringed and seemed to brace herself for what was to come.

"I am not some 'old Nanny' you cocky little bunghopper," Nayni seethed. "Just because you've got yourself that fancy Blue Paladin armor does not give you the right to call me that."

Allura sighed.

"Nan, this is a Paladin of Voltron, please, there's no need to be so hostile," Allura cooed.

Nayni liked to think she'd be down this boy's throat if her body wasn't falling apart but she knew the truth. She'd do what Allura told her to regardless of how she felt. Nayni gestured at Lance rudely and continued on down the hallway without him. She could hear the Paladins snickering behind them.

"You better watch out, Lance, she's gunning for you now," Pidge giggled.

"I thought her name was Nanny!" Lance protested. "That's what Allura called her!"

The farther they got down the hallway the less Nayni found herself leaning on the Princess. She'd carried this girl through crowds and helped mend her scraped knees. Now she was carrying Nayni like a child. There were so many questions burning within her now but the stupid Blue Paladin had been right. This dilapidated vessel was not the place to discuss it. Nayni needed the silence. She needed to feel the solidness of Allura next to her to truly feel the reality of the moment set in. That technician was dead. For how long, Nayni did not know. Everyone occupying the sleep chambers were gone. Of the Alteans that deserved to survive this war, Nayni did not count herself as one of them. But here she was. Her thoughts drifted to the fiery-haired advisor again.

"Pr-princess," Nayni stammered. "Is it true what that Paladin said? Is he still alive?"

Nayni knew she didn't have to say his name. She may have many years on Allura but the Princess had always been wise enough to pick up on Nayni's various intricacies. Even when she was a knock-kneed little girl with pigtails, Allura had managed to figure out all of Nayni's deepest secrets. Allura smiled, Nayni thought she even heard a little giggle escape. The Princess turned to her, tears still clinging to her thick lashes.

"Yes, Coran made it too," Allura said.

Nayni felt a mild panic wash over her. She glanced down at her uniform. The form-fitting blue and gold material looked fine but there were specks of vomit on her polished, black boots. Nayni grimaced. Allura guided Nayni around a corner and through a broken set of doors. She wanted to ask her how she looked. She didn't like that this was what her concern was after finding out that there was a good chance that their entire race of people was dead but she wasn't exactly sure what was the appropriate thought to have. Nayni was going to be reunited with a man that had gotten particularly talented at getting her flustered on a regular basis and she was covered in her own bodily fluids. Nayni would've been better off dead.

* * *

Allura took her in the Blue Lion. Nayni watched her Princess pilot the Lion with ease while the other three flanked them. Allura operated the controls so naturally. Nayni couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. How could she have imagined Allura doing anything else? Of course, she'd become a Paladin. It was Nayni's first time even touching one of the Lions but she could do nothing but stare at the floor. If she looked at the Princess for too long she found herself having to fight back tears. It was already such a gift to see her alive and well but she was so strong now. Allura was just as strong as she had ever been but it was as if she was shining like a goddess to Nayni now.

Nayni could barely take in the magnificence of the Castle as they approached it. It glistened like a diamond in the frigid void of space. But as Allura guided the Blue Lion into the landing bay, Nayni found herself growing nauseous again. The two people she cared about the most in the world were all that was left of her people and she was about to reunite with the one she had the most complicated relationship with. She was fairly certain he wasn't entirely aware of his importance to her either. Nayni traced her fingers over her right coat pocket again. The outline of that leaflet was still there. She unbuttoned the pocket and slid the worn folded up paper out. This thing was older than Allura. The creases had stretched out white, worn lines across the images and time had made the paper start to discolor. Coran still graced the cover, triumphant fist in the air with his sculpted muscles. The bold letters called for all young Alteans to join the Royal Forces and help serve their glorious leader. Nayni felt like she was too old to still be blushing about it but it was happening anyway.

"What on Altea is that?" Allura asked.

Nayni swallowed her panic and flipped open the pamphlet. Allura drew closer to her and a smile crept across her face. The Princess was tearing up again too. Tucked within were two small glossy photos. One was of Nayni and her long-dead wife. The other was of her and Allura. The Princess's little head came up to Nayni's shoulder back then but that wasn't saying too much since Nayni wasn't exactly a giant. Her round, little brown face was scrunched up in the purest smile while Nayni looked awkward as usual. Allura held the glossy photo in her hands as if it was a priceless ancient artifact. Nayni took the opportunity to slip the pamphlet back into her pocket. Allura probably already knew what was on it but she didn't want to deal with that embarrassment right now.

"I thought I'd never see this again, Nanny," Allura said. "You brought it in with you?"

Nayni rested her hand on Allura's shoulder. She tried to provide her with the comfort and strength that she used to but Allura truly did not need it anymore. They could hear the muffled sound of the other Paladin's voices in the hangar and Nayni knew their time was running short.

"Why don't you keep it," Nayni insisted. "I had it to keep my hopes up but you're here now and I don't need it anymore."

Allura's bottom lip trembled and all she could do was nod. It was a small glimpse of the little girl that once was. Allura took in a deep breath and collected herself.

"We best get going, there's a lot we need to discuss," Allura said.

With Allura back by her side Nayni felt that strong sense of duty begin to return. Her purpose for living was restored. It wasn't the first time that Allura had brought her back from the brink. They made their way out of the Lion. Nayni's knees barely trembled now. Her head still felt a bit foggy but she wasn't sure if that was from the flood of emotions that all these reunions were bringing or an after effect of her hibernation. Allura plucked the pink helmet from her head as they stepped off of the Lion.

Nayni had to recoil in horror when she looked upon the other Paladins. They were mutants! Now that they'd removed their helmets and she could take a proper look at them, she was disgusted. Something horrible had happened to their ears. All of them. What barbaric torture had Zarkon subjected these poor people to? They all stood their sniggering at her, even Allura. Nayni's face turned hot and red from anger.

"It's okay, Nanny, they're humans," Allura explained. "They're from a planet called Earth."

At first, she found it hard to believe that aliens could look so similar to an Altean but she'd also believed she'd never see Allura again. It was just another example of the many seemingly impossible things that did actually occur in the universe. Lance put his hands on his hips and scowled.

"So your name is Nanny!? Why'd you yell at me?" Lance snapped.

It would take all of Nayni's strength to not break his skinny little neck. She flicked her eyes over to Allura and the Princess shook her head. Lance would live to see another day.

"I'm Captain Nayni Nordontu. I've been Allura's personal bodyguard since she was very young," Nayni explained. "'Nanny' is what the Princess dubbed me and thus she is the only person that I allow to call me by that title."

She wanted to throw in another death threat but she knew that Allura wouldn't approve.

"Bodyguard so- not a nanny at all," Hunk clarified.

It seemed that the same confusion that plagued Nayni before the war would plague her now.

"I mean really? She doesn't even look like a nanny why are you guys even confused?" Pidge pressed.

They started to tease each other like children in a schoolyard. Nayni began to question just how old they were. They did look like children, at least to her. And they were supposed to be the new Paladins of Voltron? These must be desperate times. Allura rested a hand on her shoulder. It didn't matter how many years went by, Nayni still felt bothered that now she had to look up at the Princess instead of down at her. She grew up far too quickly.

"We really should get to the bridge," Allura said with a sly little smile.

Nayni needed answers but she was still completely and utterly terrified at the prospect of seeing Coran again. There was such a storm brewing within her. She tried to pat down her frizzy hair and adjust her uniform as they made their way out of the hangar. The other Paladins were talking and joking so loudly that she wanted to turn around and shout at them until they fell silent. She was on edge. Nayni stuck to Allura's side out of instinct and this seemed to deeply bother the one called Lance. He kept shooting her dirty looks. She'd have to learn to work with him, he wouldn't be the first difficult team member she'd dealt with and she was sure he wouldn't be the last.

It'd been so long since Nayni had been to the Castle that she'd be lost without Allura. And the last time she'd seen it, it had been on solid ground not floating through space. The elevator ride to the bridge was a mixture of terror and building anticipation. It was stupid of her to be so worried about this encounter. It was more important that she get caught up to speed as to what happened while she was in the sleep chamber. Her personal feelings didn't matter, they had never mattered. She was back on duty and she needed to be able to perform whatever tasks that the Princess required of her. Nayni needed to be ready for whatever was about to come to light and from the state of the Paladins she assumed things would be grim.

They approached the archway to the bridge and Allura paused. The other Paladins ran in without hesitation. The Princess took Nayni by the hand and looked deeply into her violet eyes.

"I have to warn you," Allura began. "The universe has changed a lot but, it's getting better. I promise you. And now that you're here, it can only keep getting better."

It took a lot of Nayni's strength to maintain her composure.

"It doesn't matter," Nayni said. "You know I'd follow you into a black hole."

Allura pulled her in for a hug. She squeezed Nayni so tightly she thought her ribs would burst. It was one last injection of strength before Nayni had to face this new reality head-on. Allura held onto her hand tightly as they stepped through the archway. Her hands were long, slender and graceful now but it still felt like Nayni was grasping those chubby little fingers that the Princess had once possessed. That hand was her anchor as it always had been.

The bridge was something that she had never really seen but she was too filled with anxiousness to truly absorb the new surroundings. The Paladins were crowded around another of those mutant Alteans or 'humans' as Allura said. He was taller than the rest of them and dressed in black. They were talking in hushed tones but fell silent when they noticed Nayni and the Princess had finally arrived. The cogs of the ever-shifting stars and planets all came to a stop when he looked at her. If the Princess had not been gripping her hand so tightly Nayni would've fallen apart again.

Coran still looked as handsome as he did on the pamphlet that was stuffed in her right coat pocket. His orange mustache was still neatly trimmed and his pristine uniform clinging to his body in all the right places. He looked so regal and composed. She felt like a mess compared to him. Nayni _was_ a mess compared to him. She swallowed hard trying to force back the sob that was trying to escape from her throat. He was so much more cautious as he approached then Allura had been. He looked tense. It had been so easy to cry and squeeze Allura. It was easy for Nayni to be vulnerable with her but Coran? She was too ashamed to look weak. She couldn't decide what to do.

Nayni approached him, trying to maintain the rigid posture that had been drilled into her over her military career. She held out her hand stiffly before him.

"M-Mister Smythe," Nayni stuttered.

She was embarrassed by how meek she sounded. The greeting was so forced but it was what was familiar to them. Nothing else would do. He engulfed her in a hug. He had always towered over her and it was still the case. He still smelled of the spiced tea that he drank far too much of. She could feel his face nuzzled into her frizzy brown hair and his muscles relaxed as he held her close. She kept her face buried in his chest because the tears had finally won their fight to escape. It had been so rare for him to be so informal. It spoke volumes. Things were just as bleak as she had feared. Their embrace lasted a bit longer than expected. Hunk opened his mouth awkwardly to speak and Shiro elbowed him sharply in the rib. Hunk promptly closed his mouth again and fell silent.

Coran barely pulled away from her and Nayni tried to quickly wipe the tears away. He was too. He did it with so much more grace than she possessed.

"Madame Nordontu," Coran stammered. "It's been a long time."

Allura scampered forward and pulled them all back into a hug. There had been a large amount of hugging today but Nayni wasn't particularly opposed to it.

"We thought we were the only Alteans left!" Allura gasped. "And you're here! You're back!"

Even though Nayni had suspected this was the case it didn't make hearing it any easier. How was it possible that they were all truly gone? She pulled away from them and tried to regain her composure. Coran and Allura both looked so solemn. A deeply rooted sorrow was creeping back up to the surface.

"Zarkon destroyed Altea," the human in black said.

He ran his fingers through the white tuft of hair on his head and sighed.

"I'm sorry," He added.

Nayni staggered back. She felt like the breath had been stolen from her lungs. She just kept shaking her head, eyes wide with horror. Coran looped his arm through hers to steady her. Nayni was too in shock to care about the contact.

"Shiro's telling the truth," Coran said. "King Alfor placed the Princess and I in the hibernation chambers in the hopes that we could help restore peace to the galaxy. It was a difficult but wise decision."

Hundreds of Altean faces flashed through Nayni's mind. Alfor was gone. Their king was gone. Their home was gone. They were all that's left. Altea was just a collection of charred rock floating in the abyss of space. Things had been bad when he ordered Nayni go to the Ark but had it truly been so hopeless that Alfor would sacrifice his life to save his daughter?

"Father scattered the Lions across the universe," Allura explained. "These humans found the Blue Lion on their homeworld and it brought them back to Castle."

This wayward pack of adolescents found the Blue Lion? And it chose one of them as it's pilot? It sounded so absurd to her.

"We awoke Coran and Allura," Shiro added. "And retrieved the other Lions."

Nayni kept finding her gaze falling to the floor. It was a lot to take in. Coran stiffened beside her. He was bracing himself. What else? What else had happened? How could it get worse than losing their homeworld?

"It's been over ten thousand years, Nayni," Coran said.

Ten thousand years. Ten thousand quiznacking years. She leaned into him. She felt nauseous and dizzy. Nayni's thoughts were racing and she didn't even know where to begin with all of this.

"I h-have quite a debriefing to sit through, don't I?" Nayni said weakly.

She pulled herself away from him. Somehow the need to maintain formalities had crept back. She was already going over all the possibilities in her head. There must be so much to be done. So much that she had to do for Allura.

"Well, now that you're standing here we've got another matter to discuss," Shiro said.

"Yeah, so Lotor didn't lie to us- well sort of," Hunk added.

Nayni was confused but she listened patiently. They gathered around the console in the center of the room. Coran stood tantalizingly close to her. He still seemed to radiate this power that made it difficult to focus. At least that was something that hadn't changed. Pidge brought up a myriad of data files on the central display. There was an image of this Lotor. He looked almost Altean but his skin was a lavender hue.

"Lotor is Zarkon's successor," Allura explained. "But Zarkon recently disowned him and put a bounty on his head. He reached out to us in an attempt to form an alliance."

Allying with a Galra? There had been a time in Altean history where that had been true but rebuilding it seemed like an impossible task now.

"In exchange for giving him an audience, he offered us the location of the Altean Ark," Pidge explained. "Which apparently everyone thought it had been destroyed."

From the way the Ark looked when Nayni left, it was likely someone had attempted to.

"The Princess and I thought it was a trap but, Coran insisted we investigate it," Shiro continued.

Coran insisted they check it out? All those years ago, Nayni had sent him a brief message explaining Alfor's orders. He knew she was there. Is that why he pushed them? The potential meaning of that act made her heart skip a beat. His eyes darted to meet her's and he quickly looked away.

"I couldn't ignore the possibility that there might still be other Alteans out there," Coran said. "And now I'm overjoyed that we went."

Was that really all, Coran? Not that it wasn't a good reason but deep down she hoped that there was more to it.

"Well it wasn't exactly what we were expecting but Lotor did tell the truth," Pidge said.

Hunk shook his head. He folded his thick arms across his chest.

"Yeah, but why should we trust him?" Hunk posed. "I mean he tried to kill us- like a lot. We're not just gonna let him walk into the Castle. No way."

Nayni was starting to understand why Allura believed in these Paladins. This one, at least, was competent.

"He could've laid a trap and he didn't," Shiro said.

The other Paladins, including Allura, did not like the way the conversation was turning. Nayni could feel the tension in the air.

"-but we still have every reason to be cautious," Shiro continued. "There's a lot at stake here. He could be a powerful ally with a lot of information about how to truly defeat Zarkon."

Nayni didn't like this scenario at all. The Galra had been cunning and tricked many people into submission. But she hadn't been here. She hadn't been through what these Paladins had. She didn't feel it was her place to voice her concerns.

"Yes but for now, I think we all need some rest," Allura said. "This is a lot to take in."

The girl mothered them all the same way that Nayni had mothered her. The last thing Nayni wanted was to be alone in a bed right now. There was no way she was going to sleep. If she'd really spent ten thousand years hibernating anyway what was the point?

"Is that an order?" Nayni asked.

"Does it need to be?" Allura replied with a weak smile.

She didn't even know if that mattered anymore. There were three of them. Just three Alteans in the entire universe. Allura, Nayni, and Coran. There was no more Altean government, military or civilization at all. The idea of no longer having the structure brought on a crushing terror. Her whole life had been built around following protocol and maintaining that order. How was she supposed to function without it? Nayni was used to warding off monsters in Allura's life, imaginary and real. It was what she knew and it was what she would have to continue doing. Nayni held Allura's gaze until she finally caved.

"I suppose it would be nice to lay my head down on an actual pillow again," Nayni sighed.

It would be more likely that she would lay down and stare at the ceiling contemplating how she and Coran somehow ended up as some of the last three Alteans. The forces of the universe certainly intended for her to be permanently pining for that man.

"I can show you to your quarters," Coran offered.

Allura peeked around Coran's shoulder and gave Nayni a little wink. She felt her cheeks flush. This girl was going to be the death of her.

"I suppose-" Nayni began but Coran herded her out of the control room before she could finish speaking.

Nayni swore she heard Allura excitedly giggling as the doors closed behind them. Alone with Coran, as she had been so many times before, but this time was even more particularly taxing than usual. He made a grand over dramatic bowing gesture as he directed her down the hall. He was still a foppish idiot and she loved it but there was no way she was going to openly admit that to him. She doubted this walk to her quarters was going to be a painfully awkward silence. Coran was not the silent type. Part of her longed to talk to him alone anyway. She couldn't deny that. As emotionally draining as the day had been, she still had a deep hungering need to speak with him. Nayni was never the sort to speak first though, especially when it came to him.

"So here we are," Coran said with a smile.

His tone was warm and soft. He'd barely spoken and was already making Nayni feel as if her mother had just handed her a fluffy warm biscuit for breakfast.

"Yes, here we are again...walking down a hallway," Nayni added.

She was so awkward but for once in her life, she had an excuse. After everything that happened she'd every right to be hopelessly socially inept. Coran would swoop in and save her from the awkwardness though, it was what he always did.

"What do you think of the new Paladins?" Coran went on. "I know the Princess and I had our doubts at first but they truly are remarkable. They've done so much to help restore peace to the universe. I have so many tales to share with you."

His approval of them mattered quite a bit to her but she still wasn't sure what to think of them all.

"The Blue one makes me feel as if I'll break out in a rash," Nayni admitted.

Coran chuckled and gestured for Nayni to follow him around a corner.

"Lance is so much more than he seems. You'll have to just trust me on that one," Coran said.

Nayni had noted that he was piloting the Red Lion. That wasn't a job to be taken on by someone who was as excessively foolish as he came off. It was hard for her to accept that boy was sitting in the same seat that Alfor once had. They seemed so different yet they both were able to earn the Red Lion's trust. They came to an elevator shaft and Coran summoned the lift by flicking his finger across some of the buttons on the console. She listened to the familiar dull hum of the elevator as it descended to their level. The sound echoed throughout the empty hallway.

"I'm certain Allura would appreciate it if I was more patient with him," Nayni sighed.

The elevator doors swung open and Coran stepped aside to let her in first. If it had been another man she'd have called him a bafoon and shoved him inside.

"I don't know what use you'll have for me on this ship," Nayni admitted. "I'm more used to punching people in the face or smacking things with my particle shield."

She wasn't used to piloting anything let alone operating the complicated controls of the Castle's defenses. The blue lights of the shaft flashed by as they ascended to the habitation level. There was a tension in the air. Nayni could not precisely recall the moment that tension had begun but it had been there for many many years. She assumed most of it was in her head.

"You were the Captain of the Royal Guard, Nayni, I think we'll find plenty of uses for you," Coran assured.

Her cheeks flushed with heat. She could think of a few uses for Coran that fell out of the realm of diplomacy. Nayni tried to bury those thoughts deep to keep her composure. The elevator came to a smooth stop and they stepped out into yet another hallway with overly polished floors. Nayni was amazed by the condition of the Castle. The Ark had been in shambles when Allura found her and yet the Castle still looked as pristine as it had all those years ago.

Coran started to quicken his pace. It took a bit of effort to keep up with him. His legs were longer than hers and it would take two of her strides to cover the same distance as one of his.

"I hope you don't mind but I'm thinking you'll stay in the quarters across from mine. That way if you need anything I can assist you more easily," Coran said.

So he was waiting to drop this on her until now? He was well aware that she would protest to that. She wanted to be as close to Allura as possible at all times. It was something that was programmed into her very blood. She didn't need to be coddled but the idea that he wanted to help her made her heart flutter.

"I—I don't think I'll be needing any assistance, Mister Smythe," Nayni stammered.

They came to a set of doors. One on each side of the hallway. Never had she been stationed so close to him. The prospect of being within such an intimate proximity made her nausea return for the briefest of moments. She expected him to just open the door and let her be but something peculiar happened. Coran touched her ever so gently on the shoulder. The way he was looking at her made her innards churn like an adolescent girl. The lines of his face were still the same. He was still one of the most perfectly evolved specimens of an Altean that she had ever laid eyes on.

"I think after all that's happened- we've moved past those old formalities," Coran said.

He had called her by her first name earlier. Nayni had completely missed it because she was so wrapped up in her own sexual frustration and longing.

"My apologies—Coran," Nayni said. "It's always been hard for me to break old habits."

Those formalities had been her personal emotional shield for so long. He was right though. What use did they have for them now? Her hand hovered over the door's console and the doors slid open silently. It was bleak and dusty inside. It was obvious that the chamber had gone untouched for quite some time. She'd seen worse sleeping arrangements in her military days so she would have no issue making do with this. All she needed was a bed and a roof over her head to feel like she was in the lap of luxury. Coran's grip on her arm tightened and she turned her head to meet his gaze again.

His face had a stern expression that she'd seen so many times before. Usually, it came up when they'd discussed something about Allura or King Alfor. That couldn't possibly be the case this time.

"I thought of a lot of people once I realized the Princess and I were the last of the Alteans," Coran said. "But it was you, Nayni, who came to mind the most."

She thought she'd had her fill of crying for the day but it seemed that Coran was bent on making her cry some more. What was she to make of that confession? It could mean a thousand different things but she only wanted it to mean one thing. She wanted it to mean the one thing that she had been desperately hoping for most of her life. Nayni swallowed hard.

"Oh," She squeaked.

Oh? Really? That was all she could muster up the courage to say. That was the only response that her brutish, undignified thought processes could come up with?

"I'm sorry. You must be exhausted," Coran said.

His tone was so gentle she wanted to barf. She felt a panic rising up and clawing its way around her heart.

"I—I thought of you quite a bit as well," Nayni stammered. "And I'm glad that you're one of the survivors."

Today, Nayni had learned that her homeworld was gone along with pretty much every person that she'd ever known. The Lions of Voltron were piloted by a bunch of teenagers and the Galra Empire had swallowed up most of the universe. All of this had been incredibly frightful but none of it really compared to the fear she felt as she uttered those words to Coran. It was incredibly idiotic but it was quite possibly the most terrifying moment of her life. All Coran did was let the corner of his mouth twinge into the smallest of smiles. She was wetting her britches and he was smiling about it?

"Well, I won't keep you any longer," Coran said.

His smile grew wider as he took a step back.

"Remember if you need anything, I'm right here," Coran insisted.

She nodded. It was a weak, pathetic little nod but it was the most she could do to acknowledge him at the moment. Coran was right here. He was right here in front of her and would be within arms reach for quite some time now. And Nayni didn't have the slightest inkling of how she was going to handle any of this at all.


	2. Survivor

Allura's tiny hand reached up to readjust the basket on her head. The chubby little toddler was crouched behind a pile of fluffy periwinkle and lavender pillows, brandishing her doll as if it were a sword. Her royal playroom was in shambles and Nayni found herself somewhat overwhelmed. She'd stabbed wild beasts in the throat, spent decaphoebs camped out in the wilderness and battled with space pirates but none of that chaos compared to what this child could do. Adjusting to her new position had been much more difficult than she had foreseen. This was going to be more than standing stiffly by doorways and looking intimidating. Technically, this little girl was her superior so Nayni had to obey her. And she had been given some very interesting orders since she'd obtained this position.

Allura peeked up over her pillow fortress and waved frantically at Nayni.

"Nanny, Nanny! Hurry! Get behind cover before the nenemy combatants arrive!" Allura yelped.

The girl had taken to calling her "Nanny" because she was having trouble pronouncing Nayni's actual name.

"It's 'enemy' not 'nenemy', Princess," Nayni corrected.

She wasn't used to children. It was still awkward for her. Nayni wasn't sure how to address her. Allura just gave her a quizzical look and kept swinging her dolly through the air. She had a lot in common with this little girl though. It was not a topic that had been brought up yet in their conversations. No child this young should be clad in pink like this. Princess or not. Someone so young shouldn't be wearing the color of mourning.

"You're going to die if you don't get behind cover, Nanny!" Allura protested.

Nayni winced at the mention of death.

"Princess, your lessons with Mister Smythe are starting soon. We need to get ready," Nayni pressed.

Allura tilted her head and her confused expression was actually incredibly adorable.

"Mista who?" Allura asked.

The Princess knew very well what Nayni was talking about. She had to take a deep breath to stop herself from snapping at her.

"You know who Mister Smythe is," Nayni said through gritted teeth.

Allura started to giggle and wriggled herself in between her pillow pile. Nayni might have to fish her out again. She'd been retrieving Allura from a myriad of places. The girl liked to explore and hide at very inconvenient times. Nayni had dragged her out of a bush just yesterday. They'd spent hours picking the twigs and leaves out of her hair. Combing out the knots had been an even more arduous task. Allura popped out of the pile of pillows and giggled furiously. Her basket helmet had nearly tumbled off letting her silver curls run wild.

"You mean Coran the Mustachio Man!" Allura teased.

Nayni had to take another deep breath. The ridiculous titles Allura bestowed upon everyone were charming in their own way but Nayni was still getting used to them. She couldn't remember being that innocent and sweet. She was that little once too but that seemed so incredibly far away now. Coran would be here any moment now. There was no time to keep fooling around and giggling about pretend wars and silly titles. Nayni scooped Allura up with one thick arm. Allura squealed with delight. She kicked her chubby diminutive legs. Her squirming did little to free her but the Princess seemed to take great joy in trying to escape from Nayni's strong arms. Nayni took care not to step on the pillow fortress as she carried the Princess over to the doorway.

"Nanny, please we're so exposed! They're gonna get us!" Allura pleaded through a fit of giggles.

Nayni plopped Allura back on the ground. She was so small but she was so feisty.

"No one will ever be getting you, Princess, not while I'm here," Nayni assured.

She brushed Allura's silver curls back into place with her thick fingers. It was a fruitless endeavor to try and get her straightened out but Nayni still felt the need to make the attempt. The gilded doors to the royal playroom swung open as Nayni gave Allura a final pat on the head before their departure. Coran stood in the doorway and the light spilling in behind him made him look like he was radiating with a magic aura. A pearly white grin was plastered on his face and his orange hair styled perfectly into a ponytail. Nayni wasn't quite sure what to make of him yet. He was like some exotic bird that was constantly displaying his plumage. She wanted to hate him but he was unbelievably personable.

Allura did not hesitate to run to him. She wrapped her stubby arms around his legs.

"Coran, Nanny won't play fortress with me. She's no fun at all," Allura said.

Nayni scowled. She could be fun. She was fun. This was an entirely false accusation. Coran flashed Nayni a knowing smile before he scooped the Princess up.

"Well it's impossible to be more fun than I am, Princess, so you must forgive her," Coran teased.

He always poked at her like this. This man was well aware that Nayni could probably crush his head like a rotten melon and yet he still dared to say these things.

"I'm fun," Nayni protested gruffly as she followed them out the door.

Allura gave Coran a few pats on the arm and he set her back down. Her little feet barely made a sound as she skittered across the sleek tiles of the palace. Nayni always did a quick sweep of the area with her gaze. This happened wherever they went no matter where they were. It was her job to be constantly aware of their surroundings. It had become second nature to her in the military but she'd come to find this new cushy job was softening her instincts a bit. Coran seemed to be hanging back this time. Nayni had taken to following behind them at a distance so she wasn't sure why he was letting the Princess take the lead.

It was frustratingly awkward. Nayni was perfectly content to let them have their privacy while she kept an eye out. She looked him over briefly to try and gauge what his intentions were. He still had that sparkling grin plastered on his face.

"So, you seem to be taking to this position quite easily," Coran pointed out.

The compliment produced an unexpected emotional response from her. Nayni felt reassured. She'd not really needed reassurance before. But she had been feeling concerned. This had not been exactly what she'd expected and she'd started to doubt herself.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Mister Smythe," Nayni said. "I'm not certain I'm the best with children but I'll have to be better about that if I'm to remain here."

Allura was waving and greeting every guard and Altean citizen that they passed by. She was so loving. Nayni was envious of this little girl's ability to reach out to everyone in the world around her without any fear.

"You're wonderful with her," Coran said. "You never had any children with your-"

He hesitated before he asked. She appreciated it but there was no hiding from her past. It didn't matter how delicately people asked her questions or if they were careless about it. They all made little cuts to her still healing emotional wounds.

"My wife and I never got around to it," Nayni said.

They hadn't even discussed it. They'd never really sat down and made plans for their future. It was strange to think about it now that she was gone. It was almost as if Tomyko knew what was going to happen. That something was going to take her from this world.

"You definitely have a knack for it," Coran said. "I'm quite pleased with Alfor's decision to bring you into the fold."

He changed the subject with such grace that she hardly noticed it. He seemed to just pluck the painful topic of her lost spouse from the conversation without any effort.

They were approaching his office. Allura would be here while he excitedly told her about the different aliens that were allied with the Alteans and their complex cultures. Nayni would stand awkwardly outside but he lectured with such enthusiasm that she could still hear them through the walls. She heard every bad pun and excited giggle from the Princess. Allura tried to jump up and open the doors herself but she wasn't quite tall enough yet. Nayni scooped her up and gave her a little boost to the console. Allura slapped the controls and squealed as the door slid open.

The little act brought a smile to Nayni's face. The Princess was wriggling her way into Nayni's heart and there was little to be done about it. Allura scampered into his office. Any living space that Coran had any control over was well decorated and well kept. The man had a flair for presentation there was no doubt about it. Allura's little legs wiggled in the air as she climbed into an ornate, plush velvet red chair. Coran was hesitating in the doorway. The smile on his face was much softer and genuine than the one he'd worn before.

"If I may be so bold, Madame Nordontu," Coran said in a hushed tone. "The loss you've experienced has given you a connection to the Princess that not many of us possess. She desperately needs that compassion despite how things may appear."

Nayni was rendered speechless. He gave her a friendly nod before he entered into the office.

"I—I'll be just outside, Princess," Nayni called out.

"Yes, yes we know, Nanny," Allura sighed.

As the door slid closed, Nayni's gaze remained fixated on the flamboyant man and that precious little girl. She felt something stirring within her. She took her position by the door. Back as straight as the wall behind her, arms folded across her chest. Nayni had to maintain the appearance of strength but she felt her lip trembling and her eyes started to burn. She had not cried at the funeral. She had not shed a single tear even when the news of her wife's death was first delivered. Now the tears were coming and she could not stop them. Nayni stubbornly wiped them away with her gloved hand. It had been a few years since she'd lost Tomyko. Allura had lost her mother not that long ago. The Alteans were mourning their queen. This little girl was left with a burden that she should not have to bear.

Allura was so young that there was a chance she wouldn't remember much of her mother as she grew. Nayni wasn't even sure if she could grasp the true meaning of death yet. It was difficult for a child to grasp the permanence of such a thing. Alfor had made it clear when she took on these duties that he was concerned about Allura. She'd woken in the night calling for her mother. This was something Nayni hadn't seen. The child hadn't asked her about anything involving her mother and Nayni was glad of it. She wasn't exactly sure how to handle that situation. She wasn't entirely sure that she'd handled her wife's death correctly. It was easy to forget her own pain with that smiling bouncy ray of sunshine around. The way Allura was affecting her only made Nayni that much more determined to protect her no matter the cost.

* * *

"You bonded with and piloted two different Lions?" Nayni asked.

Lance had puffed out his chest in pride.

"Oh yeah it was no big deal," Lance continued. "I helped Allura with learning the ropes of piloting Blue too."

The Princess had sent Nayni, alone, to learn of the Paladins exploits directly from their lips. Always the peacemaker, Allura wanted Nayni to spend some time alone with them and get to know them a bit better. It had been an enlightening conversation. The four humans explained everything that had happened since they'd recovered the Blue Lion and discovered the Castle. All of them had their own personal strengths. Hunk was loyal to the core and a clever engineer. Shiro was level headed and had a solid grasp of military strategy. Pidge was fiercely determined and incredibly intelligent. Lance was the only one that still remained a puzzle to her. He came off as cocky and shallow but there was no way he could have bonded with the Red and the Blue Lion with those traits alone.

"He does stop bragging sometimes, as hard as that is to believe," Hunk joked.

Lance shot his comrade a dirty look and slumped back into the black couch. They teased each other but it obviously came from a place of love. They'd formed themselves a makeshift family and that was something that Nayni could relate to.

They had all endured so much and most of them were still children in her eyes. They should be playing at war not fighting in it like soldiers. What choice did they have though? The Lions had chosen them for this fight and they had done so much more then Nayni ever imagined possible. Allura had been right. Talking with them had been educational but Nayni still felt a little lost amidst it all.

"Don't forget, Lance, that Keith also bonded with two different Lions," Pidge teased.

Lance pouted and let out a sigh.

"Stupid Keith," He muttered.

This 'Keith' had gone to join the ranks of the Blade of Marmora. Nayni didn't know if she could really trust any Galra even if they were a rebel group. The Paladins seemed to think highly of them though. Shiro leaned forward and the couch cushion squeaked beneath his shifting weight.

"C'mon guys, you've all accomplished something to be proud of," Shiro said."It's not a contest."

Nayni saw a lot of Alfor in the soldier. It wasn't a surprise that someone with such strength could bond with the Black Lion so deeply.

"Its true," Pidge sighed. "We never would've escaped Beta Traz if Lance hadn't landed that shot perfectly."

"I am the sharpshooter, remember?" Lance said and winked at Nayni.

Nayni couldn't even fake a smile.

"How could I have possibly forgotten," Nayni said dryly.

Her comment made Hunk and Pidge giggle among themselves. Those two seemed to have forged a close bond. Lance didn't seem to enjoy the humor they were finding from this situation.

"At least when I saved the day it was cool and not because I screwed up baking cookies!" Lance snapped.

This only resulted in everyone bursting out into laughter.

"Baking can be cool!" Hunk chuckled. "And it wasn't the cookies by themselves that got us out of that. If Coran hadn't had the Slipperies there's no way we would've been able to wormhole out of there."

Nayni covered her mouth to hide the mild shock this gave her. Coran had gone through the Slipperies? That must've been disconcerting for him. She'd yet to experience that phase of Altean life. Nayni had gone through a physical exam before she was sent on her mission to the Ark and the Alchemists had warned her that she was overdue for the virus.

"How on Altea did a case of the Slipperies help you...wormhole?" Nayni asked awkwardly.

The vocabulary they used for basic scientific terms was quite strange but she was starting to get a grasp of what they meant.

"Well, my scaltrite cookies needed to be more shiny to reflect the beams in the Teludav. So Coran kind of polished them with his mucus," Hunk explained. "So it really was a team effort to get the Teludav working again."

It was quite possibly the most revolting story they had told Nayni. In their younger years, Coran and Nayni used to tease each other over who would get the Slipperies first. She didn't actually care about it but the concept of aging seemed to really bother him. He had apparently lost that wager and now owed her a stiff drink.

"That's Team Voltron though," Pidge said. "Working together to get the job done."

The job, in this case, was liberating the universe after ten thousand years of Galra oppression. It was no small task. The doors to the lounge opened with a metallic swoosh. The Princess arrived with Coran in tow. The little Paladin party was over and Nayni was just starting to really feel at ease around them.

"Well, I assume you're fully up to speed now, Nanny?" Allura asked.

Nayni scowled and Lance flashed her a devious grin. She really wished the Princess would use that nickname in private but it was something that Nayni would never escape.

"As caught up as I possibly could be," Nayni said with a forced smile.

Allura and Coran took their places around the lounge. The Princess took her seat between Lance and Shiro, which made the Blue Paladin smirk. Coran stood behind the couch, painfully close to Nayni. His proximity was making the tips of her pointed ears tingle. She didn't dare turn to glance at him. It was much easier for her to just stare at the glossy white floor. The two of them had barely attempted to address their unresolved tension and they seemed to be continuing to dance around that situation.

"Good," Coran said crisply. "Now we can really address the weblum in the room: what to do about Lotor."

The mood in the room shifted. The air seemed to grow heavier. These gossipy and giggling teenagers now bore serious expressions. They had undergone an instantaneous transformation into the roles of true war-weary Paladins. Nayni looked to Allura. She still felt like she was drowning in all this. It had never been her place to give counsel on matters of the state.

"Shall I take my leave, Princess?" Nayni asked.

This question clearly vexed the girl. Allura leaned forward, her indigo eyes narrowed with frustration.

"You're staying, Nanny," Allura pressed. "I value your input just as much as anyone else."

If this is how Allura wanted it to be then Nayni had no choice but to stay. She'd been more gifted at advising the Princess on personal matters, not those of diplomacy, but she would do her best to serve the crown.

"Lotor must know we visited the Ark by now," Coran explained. "He's going to expect some kind of response from us and soon."

He leaned into the back of the couch, resting his hand on the cushion near Nayni's head. Did this man not realize how incredibly distracting he was? It was maddening.

"I still don't trust him," Allura said. "I expected to find so much more on the Ark and we only found one survivor. A valuable survivor but still just one Altean."

Hunk and Lance nodded. They seemed to be on the same page with Allura.

"But Lotor never told us the Ark was going to be full of Altean survivors," Shiro said.

His tone was perfectly calm but his words still seemed to alarm the others.

"I understand why you and Coran had your hopes up, Princess, but Lotor didn't lie to us fully." Shiro went on. "He could've ambushed us there easily. It was in a remote sector of deep space. It would've been like shooting fish in a barrel."

Nayni had no idea what that last phrase meant and she tried to puzzle it out. She wasn't even sure why someone would want to stuff a fish into a gun barrel, let alone shoot it.

"So what?" Hunk said. "What's to stop him from turning around and stabbing us in the back? If I had a bounty that high on my head I'd be willing to do anything to win back Zarkon's favor. He fed us one piece of good intel and we're supposed to magically trust him after everything he's done? No way."

Pidge was fidgeting with her glasses. The light bouncing off of the lenses with every minute movement that was made.

"I think we can all agree that Lotor is a jerk," Pidge said. "But I think if we completely turn him away we're missing out on a lot of valuable information. We can't just let that go."

Hunk was mortified by what the Green Paladin was suggesting. Lance had the most dramatic reaction. He folded his arms across his chest and shook his head vigorously.

"We are not letting that guy anywhere near Allura!" Lance snapped. "We can't put her in that kind of danger."

Nayni was actually in agreement with the Blue Paladin and she was deeply troubled by this realization.

"No one is suggesting we do anything that risky, Lance," Shiro said. "We can keep him at a distance and still forge an alliance with him. I don't fully trust him either but Pidge is right. Lotor has information we need and quite a bit of it."

Silence fell over them. It seemed everyone had to take a moment to ponder the various points that had been made. Allura had been staring at her palms, clenching and unclenching her delicate fists. Her wide indigo eyes flickered up to meet Nayni's. She wasn't really going to look to her for a solution was she?

"Nayni, what are your thoughts?" Allura asked.

There wasn't a trace of that meek little girl in her voice anymore. She didn't need Nayni's advice.

"I don't know..." Nayni trailed off.

Coran sighed. She felt his hand grasp her shoulder firmly. He leaned forward so he too could look Nayni in the eye. She nearly soiled herself. He was close enough that he could've tickled her nose with his orange mustache.

"Nayni, you used to be able to look around the room and tell me exactly what risk every person posed," Coran said.

His tone was firm and even. It sent a tickle running down her spine.

"You know how to judge people. You know how to judge situations," Coran went on. "Your entire career was built on predicting what people might do and you were very good at it."

Nayni was certain that she was blushing furiously but there was no point in hiding it. Coran pulled away and Nayni tried to get herself together before she addressed the room. She'd never met this Lotor. She couldn't see him right now. She couldn't read his body language or hear the tone of his voice. These things were all essential to her and even with those bits of information, it was never truly possible to perfectly predict what any sentient being would do next. Nayni had just become very lucky with her guesses.

"I think the Black Paladin is right," Nayni said. "You need the knowledge that Lotor possesses but it's important to trust your instincts. If your gut tells you not to trust him that is the sum of all of your knowledge and experience culminating in one feeling. Don't ignore that."

Allura was hanging intently on every word. Nayni looked over the faces of the other Paladins. She half expected Lance or Hunk to be giving her a sour look but even they seemed to be listening with open hearts.

"If you're going to contact him find some way to do it clandestinely," Nayni explained. "That way he can't find his way back to us."

Pidge perked up at this. She'd already pulled up her computer interface. The transparent green screens hovered right in front of her face. Endless rows of code streamed before her large brown eyes.

"I could probably come up with a workaround. It's not that hard to make it seem like a transmission is coming from a different sector then it actually is in but I'm not sure just how far we could misdirect Lotor," Pidge said. "He should still be able to contact us freely but, talking to us and showing up at our doorstep with a bomb are two very different things."

"How soon could you get this up and running, Pidge?" Shiro asked.

The Green Paladin scrolled through her code for a few moments, her face scrunched up in intense concentration.

"Maybe a few vargas. If Hunk helps me out with any necessary hardware modifications it'll be even less than that," Pidge said.

Hunk was already nodding in agreement when Pidge looked to him for a confirmation. The more the plan was discussed the more Shiro seemed to be confident about it.

"Before we get too ahead of ourselves, we're all on board with this right?" Shiro posed.

There was some grumbling but the other Paladins and Allura nodded in agreement. She was surprised that it was not Allura who ultimately made the call. The decision was made by a group effort. It was not what Nayni was expecting. It was the Princess's Castle. It was her Paladins so it should be up to her. But if this is how Allura wanted to run things Nayni would not protest. Allura was wise enough to know what was the best way to go about things.

"May I make another suggestion, Princess?" Nayni asked.

Allura's ears perked up inquisitively. All the other Paladins had their eyes locked on Nayni too.

"I would refrain from telling Lotor what you found on the Ark," Nayni suggested.

This seemed to confuse them.

"Why would that matter?" Lance asked. "He'll know we went there and we found it. What difference does it make?"

Nayni opened her mouth to explain. She was ready to give him some sass because the answer seemed blatantly obvious to her. Coran stepped in before the sparks could truly fly. She felt his firm grip on her shoulder again and Nayni flushed. Even if she'd wanted to speak now he'd stolen her words away.

"We found something truly priceless on the Ark, Lance," Coran said. "If Lotor realized the real value of the information he provided for us, it'll give him more leverage. It would just give him another bargaining chip to use against us."

Allura got to her feet. She seemed to be possessed with a renewed sense of determination. She placed her hands on her slender hips as she addressed them.

"It's settled then. We all know what we need to do," Allura said.

She spoke with such authority and strength. Seeing her in action like this made Nayni swell with pride.

"Pidge, as soon as you and Hunk have completed your modifications to the transmission module let us know and we'll make our move," Allura said.

They scattered to the wind. Each of them off to see about whatever preparations they needed to take care of. Nayni wasn't even sure how else she could be useful and frankly, this Castle was still a maze to her so she wasn't entirely sure where she would go. The lounge had been full of life only a few moments ago and now it was just her and Coran. The young Paladins had been full of excitement as they regaled tales of their glory. They had discussed and debated their plans just like the military strategists of old. There were no voices echoing in the chamber now. There was simply that ever tense silence that was present when Nayni found herself alone with the Royal Advisor.

The heels of his boots clicked as he walked along the floor to the other side of the couch. When the others were around it was easier for her to distract herself from the power he held over her. Now her safety net was gone. Her eyes were fixed on him as he came around. He still moved like a dancer. Everything was constantly flowing and swaying with such perfection. Nayni doubted that he'd lagged behind like this before she arrived. He'd probably been by the Princess's side as often as possible or finding some way to make himself useful. He still felt the need to check in on her. It was possible that Coran was just ensuring that Nayni would be able to perform her duties adequately but she desperately hoped he had other motivations.

"I'm afraid you've been thrown right back into the fray, Nayni," Coran said.

He relaxed into the black, sleek chair across from her. Even when Coran was lounging around he looked like a model posing for a fashion magazine.

"Not quite," Nayni said. "I haven't actually seen terribly much yet. Hopefully, I've got enough time to get these creaky old bones in working order again."

Nayni did genuinely want to get some combat training in with one of the drones but she'd partially meant the comment in jest. Coran didn't seem to find it funny in the least. He came flying out of his chair, stopping at a tantalizing distance from her.

"Are your knees still bothering you from the sleep chamber?" He pressed.

He knelt down before her and began rubbing her knee tenderly with both of his hands. His touch made it feel as if her skin was on fire. Coran was bent on killing her with his charms. Nayni had spiraled into a blind panic rather quickly. She felt like she was going to implode. Coran worked his hands deftly over to her other knee. He was being so gentle and kind. She didn't want it to stop.

"M-my knees are fine. I-um-I was just telling a joke," Nayni squeaked.

Coran recoiled his hands.

"Oh," Coran said sheepishly.

He was still kneeling before her, looking up at her, when Hunk stumbled back into the lounge. Nayni and Coran both stared at the Yellow Paladin, red-faced and embarrassed. If Nayni was perfectly honest the boy looked like he had deeply regretted coming back to this room. Coran and Nayni glanced at each other then back at Hunk. Now his chubby brown cheeks were turning red too.

"I just left something in here but um—I don't really need it anymore. I mean, I do but, I kinda just want to leave now so-" Hunk stammered.

The Yellow Paladin fled from the lounge just as quickly as he arrived. Coran scrambled to his feet. He inched his way back towards the seat across from her. He was rubbing the back of his neck and his violet eyes darted around the room nervously.

"Well," Coran said a little bit too loudly. "I'm glad your knees are fine. I'll just—go do some royal advisory—with the Princess."

Nayni cringed.

"Yes, yes. Well, I'll see you on the bridge or something?" Nayni said.

She just sort of squeaked that sentence out. The atmosphere of the room was so thick with sexual tension and embarrassment that she very well felt like throwing herself out of the airlock to escape. Coran slinked out of the lounge. Nayni waited until she heard the soft click of the door closing before she let out a desperate sigh. She buried her face in her hands and let out a muffled scream. How much longer was she going to have to endure this?


	3. Breathe Me

The atmosphere on the bridge was tense. Pidge's fingers flicked over her green computer interface as she finished setting up her software. It hadn't taken Hunk and her long to make the adjustments to the communications modules. Pidge had gone to the extra lengths to attempt and monitor the transmission in order to ensure that no tampering or hacking attempts took place. Nayni was fascinated watching the Green Paladin engage in her work. It was pure artistry. Coran, Allura, and the other Paladins were gathered around the main console. Nayni was about to see the negotiating skills of the Princess for the very first time. There was always a chance that things wouldn't turn out in their favor but Nayni had a hard time believing her Princess would fail them.

"The video feed's been cut so you can make the call whenever you're ready," Pidge said.

The girl didn't take her eyes off of the interface as she spoke. Nayni was fine with sitting back and staying silent. It was what she was best at. Unless Lotor managed to teleport into the Castle, Nayni keeping watch wasn't going to actually contribute much to the mission. These sort of things had always been more Coran's forte. Coran leaned over the main console and Nayni tried not to focus on how nice his rear end looked. A large blue window appeared on the main display as Coran worked the controls. The only sound that could be heard on the bridge was the rhythmic robotic tone of the haling frequency going out into the cosmos.

The wait was agonizing. Nayni felt like her throat was closing in on itself. She gripped onto the back of Pidge's seat so tightly that her knuckles were starting to hurt. The haling frequency stopped. The blue screen remained static. All of the Castle's crew was holding their breath in that tortuous moment of silence.

"I take it you received my gift, Paladins."

The voice coming over the interface made Nayni's blood turn to ice. A soft continuous static ran in the background and it did little to make the disembodied voice sound less intimidating.

"We did," Shiro said.

Pidge's eyes were darting all over her interface. She wasn't nervous though. Nayni took note of that. She was concentrating so intently on catching any abnormality that there was no time to feel any fear.

"You don't sound very enthusiastic," Lotor mused. "Did you not find what I promised for you?"

Coran glanced over his shoulder to Nayni. Their eyes were locked on one another.

"The Ark was at the coordinates you provided to us," Shiro said.

The Black Paladin was playing it cool. He spoke with little emotion. It was smart. It would make him harder to read.

"Well then, now you must be certain that you can have faith in me," Lotor said.

The way he sounded didn't put Nayni to ease. His voice made her skin crawl. This was her first interaction with the Galra Prince and she already didn't trust him.

"The gesture was appreciated," Allura said coldly. "But I'm afraid our trust isn't earned so easily. You'll have to bring more to the table to solidify this alliance."

It was as if Nayni were watching the King. If Allura harbored any fear she hid it well. Lotor laughed softly and was met with nothing but silence in response.

"If you'd like another taste of what I have to offer, Princess, you'll have to ask more nicely," Lotor hissed.

It was very difficult for Nayni to hold back after hearing that. She clenched her teeth and her nostrils flared. Lance let out a muffled growl. Hunk pressed a massive arm against the Blue Paladin's chest and shook his head. So, Lance had some bite to him after all.

"There's a system that may be of some interest to you. I'm sure your Royal Advisor has plenty to say about it," Lotor went on. "My father has kept them under his thumb for quite some time. They produce quite brilliant weaponry you see and he didn't want that falling into the wrong hands. The residents of their homeworld are quite fond of me. I treated the Terrapins well enough so I can imagine they aren't exactly pleased with the recent turn of events."

Coran was already pulling up all the available data that the Castle had on the civilization. Images and charts spilled across the massive screen as he typed furiously into the interface.

"I'll let them know you might be of some help during their bid for independence," Lotor said. "Now it'd be pretty hard to say no to that sort of alliance wouldn't it?"

Allura went rigid. She looked to the other Paladins for some kind of support but she was only met with grim expressions. Allura nodded to Shiro and the Paladin stepped closer to the console.

"We'll have to think this over," Shiro said. "And try to keep in mind how hard it would be to be an enemy of Voltron again."

It was a bit overdramatic but it certainly sent home the point. Coran cut the feed for added effect. Pidge laid back in her seat and let out a sigh of relief. She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead with her sleeve. None of it sat right with Nayni. Her solutions had always been so direct. You should just punch the bad guy in the face and lock him up so he never hurts anyone again. The universe wasn't that simple anymore. Things were more delicate and nuanced.

"God, what a dick," Lance sneered.

Nayni actually let out a chuckle. She didn't know what a 'dick' was supposed to mean but Lance said it with quite a bit of contempt in his voice so she imagined it wasn't that polite of a phrase.

"Well he didn't try to hack us," Pidge said as she scrolled through the logs of the transmission. "And if he did he was just so good at it that we didn't catch him."

"Pidge, please, for my sanity don't tell us about these things," Hunk pleaded.

Nayni followed the Green Paladin over to the main console. Coran wasn't even paying attention to the background chatter. She recognized that look in his eye. He toyed with the edge of his mustache as he looked over the data he'd pulled up on the interface. He was sorting through every cache of information that his memory held on these people and piecing together the infinite ways this negotiation could play out. The Altean had a library's worth of knowledge archived in that mind.

"From my understanding of Terrapin society they are particularly gifted at producing heavily armored dreadnoughts and larger combat vessels," Coran explained. "Liberating their system would definitely be a blow to the Galra."

He didn't seem as if he was totally confident with the information he was providing. Nayni knew there was no reason for anyone to doubt him though. He was the most intelligent man she'd ever met.

"They're actually quite peaceful despite the fact that they invest so much in their defenses," Coran went on. "They were all about having the biggest guns to try and scare off any potential invaders. That worked out for them fairly well- until the Galra showed up."

Nayni had met a Terrapin when she was just a cadet in the Army. They were a huge reptilian race that was covered with thick armor-like scales. Their necks were oddly long and their faces seemed far too tiny for their massive bodies. Her one encounter wasn't diplomatic. She'd gotten rather intoxicated with her squadmates and a Terrapin at the tavern bet her that she'd break her hand if she punched his shell. Nayni lost that bet. The bones of her right hand still ached when she thought about it.

"So—doesn't sound like they'd be willing to actively fight against the Galra," Shiro sighed.

Coran just shrugged. A shrug? Really? This was not like him at all.

"It still would be a good idea to reach out to them," Coran said. "Ten thousand years of slavery can do a lot to a planetary civilization."

Allura looked over the images and charts that Coran had pulled up on the interface. She placed her hands on her hips and furrowed her brow.

"The only way to find out for sure is to meet with them," Allura said.

Shiro shook his head.

"Let's not just fly into this blindly," Shiro said. "We need to have some kind of idea about whats going on in that star system before we get there. As you said before Coran, a lot can change in ten thousand years."

Nayni was a fan of this plan. Being cautious was never a bad idea. Though she'd had a habit of being overly so and this had forced her to miss out on some opportunities in life.

"Then let's set a course for the nearest allied system," Allura ordered. "And contact the Blade of Marmora."

* * *

The sun was setting on the Altean Royal Palace. The sky had taken on pink and orange hues with a few stars twinkling along the horizon. King Alfor and Princess Allura were finishing up their evening walk through the Royal Garden. Nayni found it was a rather pleasant way to end her daily rounds. During this time of year, the gardens were filled with blossoms of every conceivable shape and color. Altean glow flies would buzz about the foliage as the sun was swallowed up by the jagged mountaintops and the warm air began to chill with the coming of night. The Princess would usually reach out and point to her favorite plants and Alfor would listen to her speak of its properties in great detail. The King was a gifted Alchemist, he probably learned nothing new from his daughter but he would still ask her questions as if he was looking upon the plant for the very first time.

Nayni escorted them back to their living quarters. She did not want this moment to end. It was her official one year anniversary as the Captain of the Royal Guard. The Princess had presented her with an intricately detailed drawing first thing in the morning. It depicted the two of them fighting off the deadliest predators that the galaxy had to offer. Nayni couldn't recognize half of them and wasn't sure if they were all real but Allura had quite a bit to say on the matter. The Princess still firmly believed that when she was older she would be allowed to take Nayni on a grand adventure to explore the various wonders throughout the star systems. Nayni may or may not have had to hold back some tears when the Princess presented it to her. The drawing was safely tucked away in Nayni's right coat pocket now.

She couldn't make this evening last forever though. It brought her a twinge of sadness to think that this was the highlight of her days now. Her whole existence now revolved around keeping a smile on that cute, round, little face. Allura was chattering on to Alfor about the adventures she'd had that day. He always wanted every single detail she could offer up. He wanted to know what she'd learned from her lessons that day, what games she'd played with Nayni and whether or not the cooks had forced her to eat those dreadful purple leafy vegetables again. Alfor had offered the day to Nayni so she could do as she pleased but she informed him that taking care of the Princess was fine enough for her. The truth was that she spent most of her leisure days lying in her bed and staring at the ceiling. She kept that sad business to herself.

The guards were starting to change out. It was time for Nayni to take her leave. Alfor extended an arm and drew Nayni into a hug. He was a warm and affectionate man, he was this way with everyone. It still caught her off guard whenever he displayed this warmth to her. She felt Allura clamp down on her leg and she couldn't help but smile.

"I hope your day was a good one," Alfor said. "You do realize you are part of the family now don't you?"

He slipped an envelope into her hand. Nayni ran her fingers over the golden royal seal and her eyes widened.

"Sir, this is not necessary," Nayni stammered.

Alfor shook his head.

"You're family," Alfor reminded.

Nayni nodded as she stared at the ornate envelope in her hands. Her eyes flickered over to Allura. It was time for their daily ritual. This time it was making Nayni a bit teary eyed. Allura stamped her foot and twirled her hand around to make an extra elaborate salute.

"You're dismissed, Cap'n Nanny!" Allura ordered.

Nayni saluted her with an extra layer of enthusiasm today.

"Until tomorrow, Princess," Nayni said.

She watched them disappear into the halls of the Palace before she opened the envelope King Alfor had given her. Nayni slipped her finger beneath the seal as she walked back to her quarters. She fumbled with the folds of the envelope as she pulled out the letter. Written neatly in black ink were the words: You are a gift to this family, anything you need just say the word and it's yours.

There was a large sum of Altean paper currency tucked within the letter. Nayni had never seen this much money in her life. It had been, as she predicted, far too much. She didn't even count the blue bills. The letter was more valuable to her than the monetary gift. The sky had already darkened into a deep shade of violet by the time she arrived at her private quarters. The chill of the night air was nipping at her ears and her cheeks were flushed. Maybe she would retire early tonight. The thought of curling up in bed and binge watching her favorite teledramas didn't exactly sound appealing. A crippling loneliness tended to haunt her at night and she felt like this evening was going to be especially hard.

These plans of wallowing in sorrow were scattered to the wind as soon as she saw Coran standing by the door to her quarters. He was leaning against the wall, an extravagant golden gift bag with every conceivable frill and ribbon imaginable was clutched in his hands. Even in the dark of night, she could see that sparkling, devilish grin. Nayni had actually started to grow fond of that grin. Only ever so slightly of course.

"You didn't think I'd actually forgotten did you, Madame Nordontu?" Coran said.

He held out his gift to her and seemed incredibly pleased with himself. She took the bag from him and felt a warm tingling sensation in her gut when their fingertips brushed against each other.

"Mister Smythe, you really didn't have to-"

"Oh shut up, I'll be having none of that," Coran teased.

Nayni sighed and dove her hand right into the bag. Some of the glittering ribbons fell to the ground as she dug around. Her fingers brushed across the surface of a glass bottle. She couldn't help but grin. Nayni yanked the bottle out. Her jaw dropped as she marveled at the neon yellow liquid that was swirling around inside.

"You didn't," Nayni said. "Is this really Space Pirate Gin?"

She hadn't had this in years. Not since she'd transferred out of the Army and into the Royal Guard. Nayni had told Coran about it in passing but she never expected him to actually remember her stupid musings.

"It is Space Pirate Gin," Coran confirmed with pride. "I had to go to the Unilu Black Market to get it but I was already in that sector so I figured why not pick some up?"

Nayni shook the bottle and the liquid sloshed around. She was giggling. She was actually giggling. She hadn't felt this excited in years.

"Have you ever had it?" Nayni asked.

"Oh no, you're the only person I know that doesn't have a horror story about that stuff," Coran admitted.

Now she was the one grinning devilishly.

"Come on then," Nayni said. "Just a glass and then I'll be booting you out the door, Mister Smythe."

Of course, Nayni didn't really want to kick him out. The longer he could stave off the loneliness, the better. She typed into the console on the wall and the door slid open. The lights of her quarters flickered on. It was a sparsely decorated living space. All of her furniture was simple. She preferred to keep things around that served their purpose and not much more. Anything else seemed far too excessive. There weren't even any pictures on her wall. Coran looked over her quarters, as he did every time, like it was coated with a thin layer of filth. He'd offered to decorate it for her, maybe throw in some colors to brighten the mood but she had refused him. He still hadn't quite given up on it. He took a seat in her living room while she rummaged through her kitchen cupboard for two glasses.

"You really must do something about the state of this place it's absolutely dreadful," Coran pleaded.

The glasses clinked against the bottle as she made her way back to the couch.

"I believe what you meant to say, Mister Smythe, was that _you'd_ like to do something about it," Nayni teased.

She set out the two glasses on her coffee table. She wrestled with the cork on the bottle for a bit before she managed to pop it out. The gin fizzed and sizzled when it was exposed to the air. It smelt of burning fungus and made her eyes water. It was marvelous. Nayni poured them each a glass. The liquid popped and fizzed even more dramatically now. Nayni drummed her fingers on the glass cup in anticipation. She brought the concoction to her lips and slurped it down. Her throat burned and her eyes watered but she savored the bitter, pungent flavor. Coran cautiously sniffed the liquid and wrinkled his nose.

"Just chug it down as quick as you can," Nayni suggested.

This didn't seem to encourage him to try it at all. He sighed and pinched his nostrils closed. Coran took a sip from the glass and gagged. He spat the gin across the room. A fit of coughing followed as he clutched at his throat.

"That is horrendous!" Coran gasped. "How can you possibly enjoy that?"

Nayni snickered as she poured them both another glass. She would get him to drink at least one full portion before he tried to escape from her. She was enjoying this torture session quite a bit and this was meant to be a celebratory day after all.

"The funny thing is, the more you consume the easier it is to drink down, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

This was true. The more intoxicated you got, the less you cared about the bubbling acid that you were pouring down your gullet. Nayni downed another glass and slammed it on the table. Coran took this as a challenge. He plugged his nose again and proceeded to gulp down the liquid. He only gagged twice this time though tears were streaming down his face. Coran slammed his glass down on the table after another fit of coughing. Nayni was already experiencing that familiar burning sensation throughout her extremities. She poured them each another glass.

She continued to pour them glasses even after it had become difficult for her to not spill the gin all over her living room carpet. Nayni couldn't remember just how many glasses she had expected Coran to partake in but it didn't really matter at this point. They were both red in the face and laughing far too loudly. His jokes were terrible. Absolutely dreadful. But tonight she found them hysterical. They both guzzled down another portion but failed to slam their glasses on the table at the same time. Nayni laughed so hard she fell over onto him. They were propping each other up on her couch, their breath reeking of that burnt fungus stench.

"You have the most revolting taste of anyone I've ever met, Madame Nordontu," Coran said.

His words were so blended together that she barely understood him. Coran was giving her little pats on the top her head as if she was a beloved pet.

"I have excellent taste!" Nayni countered. "Did you see any pictures of my wife!?"

She found this terribly amusing but it still made her a bit sad. The gin was good at numbing sadness so it was easy for her to brush it off. Nayni slowly wrapped her fingers around the neck of the bottle and took a swig. She held the bottle out to him and he did the same.

"And there was this handsome cadet during my boot camp days," Nayni went on. "He had muscles that were practically sculpted out of solid rock."

Coran tilted his head. He attempted to brush an orange curl away from his eye but it just flopped back into place.

"Madame, I was under the impression that you only enjoyed the company of women," Coran said.

Nayni snorted.

"I'm partial to both, not that it's any of your business, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

The room had been spinning for quite some time now so she thought it was best not to move. Coran was also pleasantly warm and that made him an excellent cushion.

"Well, I'm partial to everyone! Not that it's any of _your_ business!" Coran snapped back.

He was trying to one-up her but this wasn't exactly the proper situation where that could be done. The bottle was practically empty now. Only a few sips of the foul yellow liquid remained in the bottom. Coran started fiddling with her thick brown hair but she didn't mind. It actually felt quite nice. She rambled on about Tomyko while he clumsily tried to braid her hair. Nayni prattled on about the adventures they shared until she wasn't quite sure what she was going on about anymore. Coran did a fair bit of prattling too about the King and the places he'd traveled. He told her about the exotic jungles and glittering alien cities he'd been to.

These images danced through her head while she slept. Nayni dreamt of taking Allura to these foreign worlds and seeing the child's eyes grow wide with excitement. She dreamt of Coran too. She dreamt of his fiery hair flowing in the wind and the twinkle he got in his eye when he smiled. He would whisper things into her ear that she didn't quite understand but they made her giggle like a teenager. She could almost feel the hairs of his mustache tickling the delicate flesh of her earlobe. It felt like electricity was dancing down the curve of her neck when he was close.

There was a strange sound in the distance. A faint screeching noise that was slowly growing louder. Nayni's morning alarm finally managed to pull her out of the deep, gin induced slumber. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. She felt something tickling her ear and she tried to swat it away. When her hand met with Coran's face she was mortified. A thick glob of his drool was smeared on her cheek and she could feel it running down her neck. Nayni pushed him onto his side. Coran seemed to have no issue sleeping through all of this.

She scrambled away from her couch in horror. Nayni slammed her hand on the wall panel trying to get her alarm to stop blaring. Even all that ruckus did nothing to stir Coran from his slumber. She held her face in her hands. This was most unprofessional. The two of them had probably violated every fraternization protocol in the book. Well, not _every one_ as far as she could remember. She did remember the personal things she'd shared with him. Nayni also remembered the very personal things Coran had shared with her. That was the beautiful and ugly power of Space Pirate Gin. It was like a truth serum. Her ears were burning with embarrassment and shame.

Nayni gingerly prodded Coran's shoulder. He muttered something under his breath and continued to snore. She only tried this a few more times before Nayni realized this would do nothing to remedy the situation.

"Mister Smythe!" Nayni shouted as she shook him like one of Allura's rag dolls.

Coran gasped and flopped onto the floor face first. He let out a slow agonizing moan as he got back on his feet. He looked so disheveled and it was so unlike him that it shook Nayni to the core. This man was always so well put together. Now he stood before her, his uniform in shambles and his normally silky smooth, red hair was a tangled mess. She could not imagine how much worse she looked at this very moment. Coran's eyes looked her up and down and he forced a very awkward smile.

"Your hair looks lovely, I did a nice job with that," Coran said.

She wanted to punch him in the face. She took a deep breath to collect herself.

"You need to leave," Nayni said calmly.

She could not believe what she had done. It couldn't be undone now but she would do her best to move past all of this. Coran stumbled towards her front door. She felt guilty for throwing him out. None of this was his fault. None of it all. She'd let her loneliness get the best of her. Nayni had broken a promise she'd made to herself long ago. Her fingers fumbled with the control panel but she did finally manage to get the door to open. The birds outside where chirping and the crisp morning air flooded into her quarters. He turned to bid her farewell. She felt as if something was choking her when she looked into his eyes.

"It was really a lovely night," Coran said. "It's always nice to find another ally in the world."

She knew what he was referring to and she appreciated the sentiment. She just couldn't bring herself to say it. Her hand hovered over the control panel.

"Let's just keep this to ourselves shall we, Mister Smythe?" Nayni pleaded.

"Of course," Coran assured.

She couldn't bear to look at him any longer. She was far too ashamed. He had been incredibly respectful and kind to her. She wanted to fully explain to him but this crippling fear within her kept her lips sealed. It was just all so confusing. She was just too scared. Losing Tomyko had been too hard and Nayni never wanted to put herself back into a position where she could possibly feel that pain again. Coran had no idea. He knew she'd lost her wife. He probably had the common sense to know that it was an awful feeling but he couldn't truly understand. He hadn't felt the devastating heartbreak that she had and still was feeling. Nayni's gaze fell to the ground and the door to her personal quarters slid closed.


	4. Fighter

The cramped Castle kitchen was filled with the sound of Coran's melodic humming. He was doing a rendition of a classical Altean composition that Nayni had heard be performed far too many times. It was a staple at every lavish gathering at the Palace and she'd stood guard at every single one of them. She was doubled over on the tiny white table. Her round face was almost as pale as the table's surface. Her hands were clutching to the square edges as she tried to keep herself steady. The Teludav jump still caused her a great deal of discomfort. Not all Alteans responded very well to the jumps and she was one of them. It was part of the reason she'd left the transitory lifestyle of the Army and entered the Royal Guard. She laid her head back down on the cool surface of the table. She could hear the sound of a spoon clinking against the side of a cup as Coran stirred the herbal tea he'd prepared for her.

According to him, it wasn't a concoction of Altean origin but she didn't care. She was just so desperate to stop feeling like her stomach was doing backflips. Coran set the steaming mug down on the table and gingerly slid it towards her. The tea had a floral aroma that Nayni couldn't recognize. She took a good long sniff and stared at the steam wafting up from the top of the stout cup. He'd perched in the chair next to her and was rubbing his hand gently along her back. Nayni felt too ill to protest the physical contact.

Nayni brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. The hot tea actually created a soothing cooling sensation all the way down to her stomach. She took another big long gulp, sucking down nearly half of the cup's contents. Its effects were working quickly and she couldn't be more pleased.

"What is this?" Nayni croaked.

Coran rested his hand on the small of her back. She was starting to ease up around him. Not quite enough to let all of her muddled pile of feelings come spilling out but enough to not be quite as mortified every time they came in contact.

"Hunk was having a problematic digestive system as well," Coran explained. "We visited this natural medicinal shop at the Unilu Intergalactic Space Market. The tea seemed to work out nicely for him. I wasn't too sure how it'd work for an Altean but the experiment seems to have been a success!"

He was very pleased with himself so he gave her a flirtatious wink. Nayni sucked down another gulp of the tea to try and disguise her furious blushing.

"The Unilu Black Market is still around?" Nayni asked.

Coran hadn't called it that but she assumed that's what he'd been referring too. The question she posed seemed to sap away a bit of his confidence.

"Well, not exactly anymore. The Paladins just call it a 'space mall.' There's nothing really shady about it anymore. The Unilu have become legitimate traders now," Coran said.

That was an evolution that Nayni hadn't expected to see. The pleasant cooling sensation of the tea had nearly devoured the last bit of nausea within her. The room had also stopped spinning so that was a massive improvement.

"I'm finding that a good bit of my information is-outdated," Coran confessed. "It's been quite nerve-wracking. I've sent the Paladins into some sticky situations by mistake."

He couldn't even look her in the eye as he told Nayni this. Coran was staring at his fingers while he fiddled with them. This was one the more heartbreaking things that Nayni had seen since she'd been recovered from the Ark. Coran had always held himself to high standards. Sometimes the expectations he imposed upon himself were far too high. He had to know every alien custom, every exotic ritual, and every obscure detail about biological oddities in the universe. He'd been gifted at hiding his shame when he was around others but it never really went away. It was always there teasing him in the background.

Nayni reached for his hand and took it in her's. Coran's hands were large and his long fingers didn't really fit within her stubby ones.

"You mustn't be so hard on yourself, Coran," Nayni cooed. "Think about all the times that you _were_ right. I'm sure that's outweighed anything you may have miscalculated. Every mistake holds a lesson too."

His reaction was not what she expected. He was laughing at her. It was a soft warm laugh but it still peeved her. Nayni was trying to be tender with him. Coran clasped his other hand over hers.

"I believe you've given the Princess that same speech several times in the past," Coran teased.

Nayni's cheeks and ears flushed again. She had given Allura that lecture quite a few times. He knew all her classic lines but he needed to watch out because she knew all of his too.

"It's a good speech," Nayni protested. "Maybe if you'd listened to it properly I wouldn't have had to give it again."

The look he gave Nayni made her knees wobble. There was Coran's troublesome smirk again. And here she thought she was wise to his ways. Maybe she was but he still was able to dissolve her into food goo with one simple look.

"It's still a good speech," Coran assured. "And the kind words are appreciated."

She wanted to grab him by the collar and shove her tongue down his throat but she just sipped on her cup of tea instead. This awkward dance they'd been engaging in was going to come to a head at some point. It was more than just casual flirting. They'd moved past that long ago. What was going on now was far more dangerous. The temperature in the kitchen hadn't actually changed but Nayni felt as if it were sweltering.

"The tea is appreciated," Nayni said.

If she could steer the conversation back to a more casual direction she might be able to survive this encounter with him.

"Ah good!" Coran said. "We'll have to pick up more whenever we happen to get back there. We can't have you running about the Castle vomiting all willy-nilly anytime we make a Teludav jump."

She nodded and set the empty cup back down on the table.

"I'd like to see it again," Nayni said. "If the Unilu have changed as much as you say that would be a fascinating thing to see."

Nayni did recall the Paladins telling her about a stray Unilu merchant selling Coran a brain worm but she didn't want to press the subject. It seemed like a story that would embarrass him even more than when he'd gotten the Slipperies. So, not exactly _all_ of the Unilu had changed from what she understood.

"It's not as thrilling as some of the other places we've visited," Coran said.

He leaned in more closely to her and spoke in a hushed tone.

"The whole place just makes me feel really out of touch and-old," Coran admitted.

Well, even the combined ages of Allura and all the Paladins couldn't add up to the amount of time either of them had been alive. It wasn't as if they had one foot in the grave but she and Coran weren't the spritely young Alteans they used to be. Nayni had put on the facade that she hadn't really cared about it but when she first noticed the wrinkles under her eyes, she'd picked up some antiaging serum on the sneak.

"We're not that old," Nayni said. "Though being surrounded by all these children doesn't exactly make me feel like a freshly sprouted bloom."

Being around Coran though had been quite the rejuvenating experience. The never-ceasing tension and anxiety were rather draining but she was starting to become numb to it again. She hadn't always had this much trouble around him. It was hard for Nayni to recall but there had been a time when she was forced to be around him on a daily basis and she had functioned. If she was perfectly honest she was barely functioning towards the end of that period though.

"Age has no relevance during war times," Coran sighed. "They've all just been thrust into this chaos and have had to make do. Sometimes I forget that they're just teenagers."

Nayni wasn't positive yet on how differently the aging process was for Alteans and humans but it seemed fairly similar on the surface. Allura was still a teenager by Altean standards but she led as if she were the experienced ruler that had seen a lifetime's worth of suffering. Coran rocked back in his seat and tilted his head towards the ceiling. The hard edge of his jaw and the lines of his neck were accentuated ever so nicely.

"Lance was just asking me about Altean courtship practices not that long ago," Coran went on. "We have private talks quite often about the different parts of our cultures. He's still so concerned with the things any teenager would be like girls and fitting in. But look at him. He's a Paladin. It's quite strange."

Nayni wasn't exactly fond of the Blue Paladin but she recognized that he was someone very important to Allura and so she was trying to learn to like him. Admittedly though her instincts kicked in and she could not hold back the question that was now burning within.

"Why was he asking about Altean courtship practices?" Nayni asked.

Coran ran his fingers through his red hair and flashed her a knowing grin.

"I think we both know why, Nayni," Coran teased.

She thought about the way Lance looked at the Princess and the way he was always concerned about her safety. He was always putting the Princess first. Nayni wasn't daft. She'd certainly taken note of it. That may have been part of the reason why she scrutinized Lance so.

"We can't possibly be the only ones who've noticed this," Nayni said.

It was entirely possible for Allura not to notice it. When Nayni was young she was dreadful at picking up on cues like that. Tomyko had practically had to bash her over the head before Nayni realized that she was interested in that regard. It was always so much harder to see things when it involved yourself. What was obvious to the people around you could fly completely past you.

* * *

The turbulent ride to the planet's surface was doing nothing for Nayni's jump sickness. The landing shuttle was jostling the four of them about but the young Princess was loving every dobash of it. This was going to be the very first time that King Alfor had brought his daughter along for one of his off-planet adventures. Allura had been ecstatic when he offered to bring her along, of course, the little Princess believed they'd be making the journey in the Red Lion. Alfor did not like to utilize the Lion for any personal matters. He believed that the Lion's powers were only meant for preserving intergalactic peace, not flitting around space and collecting plants. Allura had been disappointed at first but her father managed to reignite her excitement with ease. The landing pod made a particularly rough jolt and Nayni was forced to swallow her own vomit yet again.

Coran peeked around from the pilot seat and hollered an apology. Nayni just replied with a guttural growl. It was wonderful to see the Princess in such high spirits but Nayni much preferred staying at the Palace with both of her feet planted firmly on the ground. But Nayni was to go wherever the Princess went even if she wanted to curl up on the floor and die. Allura had grown so much since they'd first met but her feet still couldn't quite reach the floor as she sat strapped into her seat. Nayni had already set down the ground rules about half a dozen times now and she was resisting going over the rules again. The farthest she'd escorted the Princess from the Palace were to various parts of Altea. Nowhere off the planet and nowhere this exotic.

Voltron had recently liberated this sector from a band of ruthless space raiders. They'd been terrorizing this cluster of planets for years and now peace had finally been restored. The very existence of the superweapon still brought Nayni chills. The process of the Lions' construction had been a long one. There had been many nights where Alfor had kept working until the dawn vargas. Nayni would leave Allura with her night guard and return to find the Princess had only seen her father for a few tiks before he'd collapsed in his bed from exhaustion. This was more than a simple outing. Alfor was trying to make up for the time he'd lost with his daughter.

"Nanny, look!" Allura gasped as she gestured to the window.

Nayni craned her neck to peek out of the cockpit. They'd finally made it through the planet's atmosphere and the landing shuttle was gliding along the surface of a vast ruby colored ocean. The crimson waves twinkled beneath the blush pink sky. A stretch of beach was on the horizon, the sand was a strange minty hue and the blue foliage running along the shoreline looked wild and untamed. It was a spectacular view. Nayni only had to resist vomiting one more time as Coran landed the shuttle on the beach. The Royal Advisor had come along for the journey just in case they ran into any unfriendly locals. According to Alfor, the planet wasn't occupied by sentient beings but he didn't want to take the risk.

Allura had already unbuckled her restraints and started for the pod door before Nayni even started to disembark. This was going to be a bit taxing on Nayni's nerves but if it brought the Princess joy it'd be worth it.

"Patience, Allura," Alfor said.

She had no patience left. The journey had been a long one and Allura was ready for her first real adventure.

"Remember, Lurie, always be in my line of sight," Nayni pressed.

Allura sighed. She was old enough to understand the importance of the rules but it didn't stop the Princess from being frustrated with them. The King finally came to her side. He escorted his daughter down the ramp onto the beach, his white and gold armor was twinkling in the sunlight. He had one hand on his bayard and the other was grasping Allura's. Her eyes darted along the forest line. The blue leaves were rustling in the hot breeze but she couldn't detect any other movement that might be out of place. Even with her mind this focused on protecting the Princess, Nayni couldn't help but note how nicely Coran's rear end looked as he walked across the sand.

She followed them a bit more closely than she usually did. This world was truly beautiful but something about it all felt off. She could be overthinking things. She'd been excessively paranoid before but she always preferred to be when Allura was involved. Alfor was gesturing to the plants along the tree line and Allura was nodding with great enthusiasm. Coran was snapping candid pictures of them with a smile on his face. Nayni couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. All she could hear was Allura and Alfor's muffled chattering and the red waves crashing onto the beach.

Nayni kept looking over the surroundings. It would've been logical for an ambush to come from the forest but the only thing to be seen in the direction was Allura placing plant samples into the preservation capsules. The rock outcropping to the right of them would've been a good hiding place as well but the deep red stone was too small to provide much cover. Maybe she was too on edge. She relaxed her shoulders. It was just as she let her guard down that she noticed something unnatural at the base of the rock.

It was composed of geometric shapes and the gray color didn't match the environment at all. It wasn't often that nature had sharp angles like that. Nayni crept closer to it. She felt a sinking dread when she came upon it. It was a very outdated and worn stealth module. It was covered with flecks of the green sand but there was no denying what it was. She pulled her blaster from her holster and it all devolved so quickly. The stealth field beyond the rock flickered and fell away. The raiders descended on them like a pack of vermin. Nayni activated her particle shield and dove for the Princess.

The King had already sprung into action. He'd drawn his sword and was already fending off one of the raiders clad in filthy rags and rusted armor. Nayni forced Allura behind her and fired off her blaster at their attackers.

"Get her to the shuttle!" Alfor roared.

Nayni knocked back one of the raiders with her shield and planted a blaster round in his belly. She would be their battering ram and nothing was going to stop her. A flurry of rounds came flying towards them. Nayni held up her shield and watched yellow beams bounce off of it. Allura was right by her side and trembling. Nayni whirled around, her shield firmly planted behind them while Coran and Allura ran for the shuttle. Rounds continued to ricochet off of the particle shield as she slowly pushed them back toward the vessel. Alfor fought with such skill and ferocity. All of his movements were so quick and fluid. The raiders hadn't laid a finger on him.

Allura and Coran ran up the loading ramp onto the shuttle. The raiders were circling around the King like a horde of rabid beasts. She was Allura's bodyguard but she could not let the King fall. It was completely stupid but she charged the group. Alfor's blade swung through the air like a red banner in the wind. She barreled through a few of them and felt a stray round slice through her side. Nayni fell to the ground. She fired off shots at two of the raiders and Alfor struck down the rest.

Nayni clutched her side. She could feel the dampness of her blood spreading out from the wound. She and Alfor were surrounded by thick smoke and a pile of groaning raiders. They'd fended off this group but there could be more on their way at any moment. Coran was holding the Princess back on the shuttle ramp. She was thrashing to try and get out of his grasp and run to her father. Alfor helped Nayni to her feet. Her side felt like it was being torn in half but Alfor looked as if he'd barely scuffed his armor.

"We need to get you in a healing pod immediately," Alfor insisted.

Nayni had smeared a swath of her dark, violet blood across the King's armor. Every step back to the shuttle was agonizing but they had to hurry. Nayni collapsed on the ramp. Her limbs felt heavy and she could barely hold her head up. She could feel the King and Coran pulling her into the belly of the shuttle. Allura hovered over her. Her cheeks were stained with tears and she was still shaking from the shock. Nayni clutched her side and forced a smile.

"Are you okay, Lurie?" Nayni wheezed.

The Princess nodded vigorously. That's all that mattered. It was the only thing that mattered. She could feel the shuttle jerk and sway as it rose back into the air. It seemed like the vessel was slowly growing darker. Nayni tilted her head to the side. She could barely make out the form of the Princess in her blurred vision.

"It's going to be all right, Lurie," Nayni said. "You're safe."

Nayni was finding it hard to keep her eyes open. Her deepest instincts were driving her to hold onto consciousness. Alfor and Coran were talking but she could barely understand them. Allura's hysterical crying was echoing off the shuttle's metallic walls. Nayni felt someone pulling her towards them. They were far too large to have been the Princess. She recognized the faint scent of spiced tea and Nayni wrinkled her nose. Coran was pulling her into his lap.

"You have to talk to me, Madame Nordontu," Coran said. "I know you feel tired but you can't fall asleep just yet."

Coran pressed a medical mesh to her side. Nayni let her arm fall limply onto the floor of the shuttle.

"You smell awful," Nayni chuckled.

The laughter morphed into a groan of pain and her muscles tensed. The shuttle bucked and Coran tried to keep her from shifting.

"My apologies but I can't really do much about it right now," Coran said.

He plucked her arm off of the floor and slid her limp hand into his. His fingers completely engulfed hers and she smiled. Her mouth felt dry and it was taking a great deal of effort for her to breathe.

"Keep talking," Coran said. "I won't allow you to slip away. The Palace would be dreadfully boring without your grumpy mug around."

He squeezed her hand harder. She could barely twitch a finger in response. Her side felt blisteringly hot, the medical mesh was doing its job. Nayni gritted her teeth.

"I'm not going anywhere," Nayni groaned. "What if my replacement was terrible? I couldn't leave the Princess in just any fool's hands."

The last thing Nayni remembered about the shuttle ride was how genuinely Coran laughed at that comment. She also could vaguely recall how much better King Alfor had been at piloting the shuttle than Coran was. Once the painkillers from the medical mesh kicked in Nayni's perception of everything was dulled. She could vaguely recall being placed in the healing pod. She could remember seeing the Princess, her eyes puffy and red from crying, holding on to the King's hand as they loaded her in. The last thing that came to her before the pod rendered her unconscious was the haunted look on Coran's face. The fear in his eyes was the same fear Nayni had felt when she'd lost Tomyko.

* * *

They were gathered around the main monitor in the bridge. This was Nayni's first time encountering the former Voltron Paladin, Keith. His visage from the video feed filled up the main monitor. Black hair fell in front of his dark eyes. The handsome young man spoke with a deep voice and serious tone. The violet lights of his ship cast an eerie glow on his face. It was odd to see the Galra architecture in the background of a friendly transmission again. Everyone from the Castle crew seemed overjoyed at the opportunity to speak with Keith again.

The boy was very no-nonsense though. He kept the small talk short and immediately wanted to get down to business. Keith's gaze trailed off the side and he appeared to be typing into the console on his ship.

"So we had an interesting time in the Terrapin system," Keith said. "I'm sending over the data we collected right now."

Pidge darted over to her station. Her green interface lit up as the data started to pour in.

"Interesting?" Shiro asked as he stroked his chin.

The Bladesman leaned back in his seat. The video feed twitched minutely from some static interference.

"Well there were a lot of Galra battleships, more than we expected to find," Keith explained. "The Galra have upped their encryption substantially so we had a hard time listening in on their transmissions."

Pidge pulled up her Galra tracking program on her monitor. The green backdrop was littered with neon purple blips of various sizes. They were constantly shifting around the screen as if in a dance.

"Something big came in but there was too much interference for us to understand what was going on in the radio chatter," Keith went on. "But it must've been a big deal because a good chunk of the fleet broke off and left the system."

Pidge scrolled through her logs on the tracking program. She pulled up a time loop of the Terrapin system and projected it on the main monitor. Another blip appeared on the edge of the screen and they watched as the forces converged on it.

"It has to be Lotor," Pidge said. "Why else would they abandon their post so quickly?"

They watched the suspicious blip vanish from the screen and the rest of the fleet vanished shortly afterward. What remained of the Galra forces was enough to guard the planet but not much else. It was still a formidable force but it was nothing that Voltron couldn't handle.

"He's giving us a window for attack," Shiro said.

"I don't like it," Hunk said.

Hunk's black bangs bounced as he shook his head.

"So what if we fly in there with guns blazing?" Hunk said. "What if he comes back while we've got our guard down and brings a whole fleet of Galra battleships with him."

Even Nayni didn't think this was likely and she was probably just as paranoid as the Yellow Paladin. If Lotor wanted to take out Voltron, dragging in a fighting force full of people that wanted him dead as well wasn't the best strategy. He'd be fighting enemies from all sides at once. He'd be outnumbered and outgunned.

"What if they just come back on their own?" Lance said. "We can't handle that entire fleet with just Voltron. I mean we're pretty badass but not that badass!"

Allura had been pretty silent through all of this with her arms folded across her chest. She came forward now. She seemed to be dripping with determination.

"If we had back up I think we could handle it," Allura said. "Regardless of how we feel about Lotor, liberating the Terrapins would add a valuable asset to the Coalition. We need to at least give this a shot."

She looked to Keith on the monitor. There was a tension there. It was very subtle but Nayni could recognize it anywhere.

"Then we get back up," Shiro agreed. "Keith, can you see if the Blades are up to it?"

"I'll see what I can do," Keith said with a nod.

Pidge lept out of her station. Her eye's twinkled with excitement.

"I can contact Matt and the other rebels and see if they'll come too!" Pidge added.

These suggestions didn't seem to be alleviating Hunk's concerns but it was enough to stop him from protesting again.

"And if Nayni helps me operate the Castle defenses we should have all of our bases covered," Coran said.

Coran flashed her an encouraging thumbs up but it didn't quelch the panic that suggestion immediately filled her with. Keith's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

"Whoa whoa whoa-is that another Altean?!" Keith asked.

On the monitor, it just looked like he was pointing at no one in particular but it was obvious who he was referring to. Lance grinned.

"Oh that's just Allura's old nanny, no big deal really," Lance teased.

Nayni growled. She wanted to throttle that boy so desperately. Shiro dived in and saved the conversation from turning into a screaming match between Nayni and Lance.

"All right, gang, we've got a lot to do in a short amount of time so lets focus," Shiro said. "Keith let us know as soon as the Blade of Marmora is ready to move."

Nayni was terrified of learning how to operate the Castle. They maybe had a few vargas to get her used to one of the most complicated weapons systems that the Altean's had ever created. She'd probably be of more use if they tossed her out into space and let her kick the hull of the Galra battleship.

"I'll get back to you guy's as soon as I can," Keith said.

He signed off and his image disappeared from the monitor. Allura let out an audible sigh of relief. It was clear to Nayni that the girl needed to talk. After all of the years they'd spent together she could just tell when the Princess had something on her mind. She rested her hand on the Princess's forearm. Nayni tilted her head towards the exit and Allura nodded. They still had that secret unspoken language that only the two of them understood. No amount of distance nor time was going to ever strip that away from them.

"I'll be back in a few tiks, Coran," Nayni said.

She didn't want him dropping in on them.

"Don't doddle for too long. I've got a lot to show you," Coran teased.

She couldn't even respond to that. She didn't doubt that he had quite a bit to show her and the concept of it all made her ears flush. She and Allura slipped off of the bridge, arm in arm. Once the doors closed behind them, Allura took the lead. The Princess headed for the elevator. It would be pretty hard for someone to interrupt them in there. Clever girl.

"What's going on?" Nayni pressed. "That whole meeting you were quiet as a space mouse."

Allura sighed and shook her head. Now that she could relax a bit she was letting herself unravel. The Princess wasn't that distraught she just seemed bothered. It was as if she was stuck on some difficult calculation and just couldn't figure out the solution. The elevator arrived and they entered. Once the doors closed Nayni flicked her hand over the emergency stop button. The lights in the elevator dimmed and it hovered in the shaft. The red maintenance light flickered at the base of the control panel. Allura's gaze fell to the floor. She clicked her heels together. It was an anxious tick she'd had since she was a child.

"It's so stupid," Allura sighed.

Nayni reached up and cupped the Princess's face in her hands.

"If it's troubling you then it's not stupid," Nayni said. "Tell me."

The girl had every right not to tell her anything but Nayni was nosey. She didn't like seeing Allura like this. The mission they were about to go on seemed risky. Maybe Allura wasn't as secure with the plan as she let on.

"If you're worried about this mission you should speak up," Nayni pressed. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, you know when something's not worth fighting for."

Allura sighed.

"It's not the mission," Allura explained. "I just—it's been hard seeing Keith since he left us."

Nayni had been quite off the mark with this one. Allura bit down on her bottom lip and shrugged. A faint blush was clinging to her cheeks.

"It's stupid. It's just so stupid," Allura went on. "I was just starting to grow—fond of him. I mean I never told him anything. It was irrelevant and I don't think he really looked at me in the same light."

This wasn't the first discussion that they had on matters of the heart. Allura had a few romantic encounters during her adolescence but the war with the Galra had really gotten in the way of all of that.

"It hurt when he left; much more than I'd expected," Allura said.

"Do you need me to give him a punch?" Nayni teased. "I'm not afraid of some ninja Galra rebels."

She held her fist in the air and flexed it. That got a tiny giggle from the Princess.

"I'm not naive. I know it was just a silly crush. I hadn't really invested anything into him but—it stings still whenever someone mentions him or we make contact with him again." Allura explained.

Nayni leaned against the side of the elevator shaft and smiled softly. The boy did seem her type. He was dark, mysterious and lean muscled.

"It's always the unexpected things that really get to us," Nayni said. "There's nothing wrong with having those feelings."

Allura smiled. The Princess was worried about Keith when she had a Paladin on this very vessel that was literally throwing himself at her. Nayni still didn't care much for Lance but he was still here, she had to respect him for his dedication to Allura.

"It sounded to me as if his departure was amicable," Nayni said. "You have to remember he wasn't leaving you. He wasn't rejecting you. Sometimes things just aren't working and its time to part ways."

Allura just nodded. There had been an incident when the Princess had first really started noticing boys in a romantic sense. She'd gotten so wrapped up by the fantastic idea of marrying this Altean diplomat's son. The boy had other plans. They'd never gotten together. It was just a childhood romance but it had devastated her. Nayni had held the Princess in her arms and kept her supplied with tissues and large amounts of sweets. It hadn't been long before Allura bounced back.

"It's nice to have someone to talk to about these things with again," Allura said. "I've been having to keep it all bottled up since you've been gone."

Well, that was the real problem right there. Nayni chuckled to herself.

"These things will eat you alive if you don't let them out," Nayni said. "Do you think you still like him?"

Allura just shrugged.

"There's nothing wrong with stewing on it for a bit. But you're still young, Princess," Nayni said. "Why not talk to him? If he turns you down then it'll smart for a bit. But you've got the rest of your life to find someone who you're truly meant to be with."

Allura let out a hearty laugh. The Princess was doubled over with laughter. She wiped a tear away from her eye as she collected herself.

"Oh Nanny, you're really one to talk," Allura said.

Nayni scowled. They were going to bring this up again, weren't they? The older the Princess got the bolder she'd gotten with her bodyguard. She liked it. The girl had spunk but there were just certain topics that Nayni preferred went untouched.

"I don't need to talk to Keith. That ship departed long ago. We're in completely different places in our lives now," Allura said. "But you on the other hand—"

Here it comes. Allura smirked. She put her hands on her hips and gave Nayni a sly look.

"Are you going to wait another ten thousand years before you talk to Coran?" Allura teased.

Nayni cringed. The Princess scrunched down so she could look Nayni in the eye. Staring into those sparkling indigo orbs was like looking into the eyes of a goddess. Allura was just like her father. She could make you feel as if she was looking right into your very soul.

"Maybe you should follow your own advice," Allura suggested. "I spent most of my life watching the two of you pining for each other, I think it's about time you did something about it."

Nayni bit down on her lip. She didn't like to think that it had been that obvious, especially to a child. She also didn't like that the Princess was right. She couldn't possibly admit that to Allura's face though. Nayni flicked her finger over the control panel and the elevator lights flickered back on.

"You're too smart for your own good, Princess," Nayni sighed. "But I shouldn't have expected any less from you."

Allura pulled Nayni in for a hug.

"Thanks for this, Nanny, it's really helped," Allura said.

Nayni patted her on the back. She needed to get back to the bridge and face the music. She was going to have to figure out what all those buttons on the controls panel did and she certainly needed more time then she had to puzzle that all out.

"Yes, yes," Nayni sighed. "Boys are stupid but we still have a war to win."

Allura giggled and Nayni stepped off the elevator. She stared at the archway to the bridge. There was a big battle ahead of them and an entire civilization to liberate and Nayni was worrying about training alone with Coran. She needed to get her priorities straight and quickly.


	5. Lonely Girl

Despite the chatter from the guests and the loud music sweeping through the Palace, Nayni could barely keep her eyes open at the ball. Blue and golden banners were draped from the ceiling and the grand hall was filled with the alien diplomats and leaders from every corner of the universe. Coran had arranged the celebration on Alfor's orders. Voltron had won yet another victory for peace and justice. The five Paladins all gathered around the Altean throne. Allura was hovering around her father, listening with great interest to the tales that the other Paladins were spinning. She lived for these stories. She would tell them again and again to Nayni. The bodyguard probably would have these new ones memorized in no time at all. The girl was going to outgrow Nayni soon. She wasn't even a teenager yet and she was already creeping up to Nayni's shoulder. It wasn't that much of an accomplishment to be taller than Nayni though.

The stout Guard Captain tried to mask the yawn she let out with her hand. Sleep had been eluding her as of late. She'd kept waking in the middle of the night after some rather intense dreams. Her ears flushed and she started to feel warm just thinking about them. The lingering pain in her side didn't really help with the effort to sleep much either. She'd been fully recovered for over a year now but every now and then if she shifted the wrong way she'd feel a dull ache in her muscles. The scar that injury had left behind was a particularly nasty one too. Not that it mattered, no one was gazing at her naked body. Not for quite some time and it wouldn't be happening in her foreseeable future either.

She watched Coran making his rounds. His outfit was as magnificent and audacious as she'd expected. This glorious monstrosity seemed to be a homage to the Red Lion. He was adorned with a perfectly pressed white and red suit with a crimson velvet cape trailing behind him. Only Coran could pull something like that off. He was sparkling like a ruby everywhere he went. Some diplomats would swoon or blush after he charmed them with what was likely an absolutely atrocious joke. His cape would swirl around him as he twirled about the dance floor with whichever lucky attendee he'd chosen for that particular song.

The idea of having a dance with him put Nayni's stomach in knots. The dreams she'd been having about him were terribly frustrating. She did not like the way they made her look at him. She especially disliked how awkward it would make their day to day interactions. It was inevitable after tonight that she would probably have some silly overly romantic garbage dream that was a combination of the teledrama she was currently binging and Coran dancing in that stupid outfit. Here she stood, in her drab dark blue uniform, looking like a tired mess with a grumpy expression on her face. Nayni was quite the sad sight.

Allura was breaking off from her father and the Paladins. She had to lift up her periwinkle skirt so she could walk properly. Their conversation must've turned away from their exciting adventures and Allura had little interest in small talk about spouses and babies. Allura skidded to a stop by one of the banquet tables. It was adorned with elaborate desserts of every conceivable color and origin. The smell had been making Nayni's stomach grumble for over a varga now. Allura plucked too fluffy yellow meringues from the table and scampered over to Nayni. She thought the girl was going to dump the whipped confections all over her dress but the disaster was narrowly avoided.

Allura offered up the dessert with a wide grin on her face. This was exactly what Nayni needed. Large amounts of sugar were very good at smothering the confusing sexual feelings she'd been having towards Mister Smythe.

"You're always thinking of others, Lurie," Nayni said.

Allura was trying to find a dainty and proper way to consume her meringue but it just wasn't happening. Nayni reached over, scooped up some meringue with her finger and left a dollop on Allura's nose. The look of shock on the Princess's face was priceless. She loved this girl as if she'd been born of her own flesh and blood.

"You're so wicked, Nanny!" Allura teased.

She wiped the meringue away from her face and tried to get it on Nayni's. The Princess had to jump on her tiptoes just to smear it on Nayni's chin. It was just another reminder that it wouldn't be long before Allura would surpass her in height. They giggled a bit over their little duel before Allura stuffed the meringue in her mouth. Nayni downed her portion in two bites. She wiped the meringue away from her chin on her sleeve. No point in keeping up appearances when she was going to be standing rigid with her hands behind her back.

"Did you tire of the Voltron Paladins?" Nayni asked.

It was hard for anyone to grow tired of them. They'd brought a new era of prosperity and peace to the galaxy. It was hard to keep in mind that in the end, they were just ordinary beings like everyone else.

"Yes," Allura sighed. "And I just don't like Zarkon, he smells like old shoes."

Nayni held back a chuckle. Relations between Alfor and Zarkon were somewhat complicated from what Coran had told her. They'd been able to put their tensions aside and work together for the greater good though.

"Maybe his shoes are old, Lurie," Nayni speculated. "He might be feeling rather insecure about it so I wouldn't point that out to him."

Allura nodded in agreement as if it was a serious diplomatic discussion. Coran finished dancing with his latest partner. He bowed to the nobleman with far too much flourish and was met with a small round of applause. Oh how she wanted to punch him in his pretty, smug face. She wanted to punch him even more when she noticed that Coran was making his way towards them. Of course, he'd chosen to come check on them when Nayni had quiznacking meringue on her sleeve.

He approached them and performed yet another overdramatic bow. Allura giggled and responded with a curtsy. Nayni felt like dying a little bit.

"It's my two favorite ladies in the entire universe," Coran announced. "I do hope you're both enjoying the festivities."

There wasn't really much for Nayni to enjoy while she stood around looking at people. Her job was to blend into the background, to go unnoticed so she could spring into action at any moment. Her job was starting to become rather irrelevant now though. An intergalactic peace really eliminated the need for guards.

"Yes but there are far too many perfumed jellies at the dessert table," Allura said. "No one likes those."

Coran smirked and his eyes seemed to twinkle.

"But they're a staple of any proper social event, Princess," Coran teased.

Allura wrinkled her nose and folded her arms across her chest.

"They're gross! Right, Nanny?" Allura asked.

They'd been spending far too much time together. Either that or they'd been consuming far too many sweets together and developed the same tastes.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with the Princess, Mister Smythe. They're revolting," Nayni said with a smirk.

Allura nodded with approval. Coran didn't seem to be deeply wounded by the whole affair but there was a twinge of disappointment in the air. He had planned and arranged this whole gathering and they'd just insulted some of his catering choices.

"Well, my Princess, I came to ask you if I could steal away Madame Nordontu for a moment," Coran confessed.

Oh dear. Why did Nayni feel a sudden wave of panic flow over her? She clenched her fists tightly behind her back.

"For what?!" Allura asked.

She was practically jumping with excitement. The Princess looked to Nayni. She was smiling with such devious delight. Why was the Princess looking at her like that? She couldn't possibly know, could she?

"I was hoping the Captain of the Royal Guard would join me for a dance?" Coran said. "Unless you find that idea to be as revolting as the perfumed jellies."

He was as smooth as silk and it made her nauseous. There were still plenty of other overdressed tarts for him to set off into a swooning fit. Yet he'd come to Nayni. He truly enjoyed torturing her. Her ears were feeling hot and she felt sweat beading on her forehead. She would very much enjoy a dance with Coran but the idea of being so close to him; it was terrifying. It wasn't as if they hadn't been that close before but she also hadn't been having these terribly flustering dreams then either. He held out his bejeweled, gloved hand. His eyebrow was raised and he had a cheeky smile on his face. She wanted to punch him rather than give him an actual response.

"I—I'm on duty, Mister Smythe, I couldn't possibly," Nayni stammered.

She couldn't give him her actual reason. She'd die before she'd say such a thing to his face.

"Oh, I'm sure your Guardsmen can keep order for you during one little dance?" Coran pestered.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to refrain from punching him in that perfectly square jaw of his.

"I'm sorry, Mister Smythe, I simply can't," Nayni said.

Her heart sank a little bit when she said that. She truly had wounded his pride this time.

"Well, that's' been my first rejection of the night," Coran said. "I understand, Madame, duty comes first."

Nayni's heart was pounding in her chest. She felt so awful for this but she couldn't bring herself to dance with him. She couldn't do that in front of all of these people. He was so graceful and she was just dumpy and dull. She'd feel like a fool out there. Coran's luxurious cape swept around behind him as he wandered off. She watched him melt back into the crowd and her heart seemed to grow heavier.

Allura was cross. She was giving Nayni the side eye and pouting.

"What is it?" Nayni pressed.

Allura flipped her silver hair behind her back and placed her hands on her little hips.

"Nanny, why didn't you dance with Coran?" Allura said.

Nayni felt as if she was being scolded.

"I don't like dancing," Nayni lied.

Allura wasn't having this. Nayni didn't think she'd fall for that nonsense but it was worth a shot. Even though it was a terribly stupid shot. Allura was simply fuming.

"You _love_ dancing!" Allura snapped. "We do it in my room all the time when we're sad! I know you love it!"

Nayni reached over and covered the Princess's mouth. Yes, when the Princess had a rough day she would put on some awful pop music and they would dance like a couple of idiots around the room but Nayni did not want their silly ritual getting around to the other Guardsmen. She had a reputation of grumpiness to uphold.

"That's much different than dancing at a ball," Nayni said.

It was different but it wasn't that different. Nayni wanted to dance with him and she hated having that feeling. She wanted Coran to grab her by the waist and spin around the dance floor with her. She wanted to see his eyes sparkle and his hips sway to the swelling music. She wanted to swoon like one of those diplomats and giggle like a stupid frill and lace clad maiden. Nayni was just too scared. She'd already let things slip a few years ago when they'd gotten drunk together. She couldn't allow that to happen again. One dance would lead to another dance and another and then it would lead to something else that she wasn't ready for.

"If you want to do something, you should just do it, Nanny," Allura lectured.

That was something Tomyko used to say to Nayni all the time. Her wife would've been so disappointed to see her like this. Yes, she was Captain of the Royal Guard and she was at the height of her career but Nayni was stuck. She was stagnant with fear even though it had been so many years. Tomyko would've been furious to see Nayni holding herself back like this but her wife was gone and could do nothing to stop the process now.

"I don't want to dance that badly," Nayni lied. "It's fine, Princess."

Allura begrudgingly swallowed that lie. She didn't think the Princess sincerely believed her words but it didn't matter. It would allow Nayni to pretend that they were real. Facing the truth was too much but it had smacked her right in the face tonight. It was a horrible realization that filled her with dread. Nayni felt as if she was being suffocated. It was as if her heart was squeezing the very life out of her but she just stood stiffly, hands behind her back and chin held high. Despite all of her efforts, Nayni was struggling to keep that promise she'd made to herself. She'd never wanted to put herself in this position again. She never wanted to feel the pain and fear again.

If she kept it buried deep it couldn't really hurt her again. She could still keep that flame in her heart but as long as she didn't act on it she was safe. This terrible seed couldn't take root if she kept her guard up. It could never grow and flourish into that dangerous beautiful thing that had destroyed her so long ago. She was in love with him but she could let this go no further.

* * *

Nayni was starring at the control panel before her. The sleek black surface was broken up by blue lights of the various dials and switches. Even the panels at the other stations looked just as complicated. She felt completely lost. She'd barely even recalled what little pilot training she'd received back at boot camp. The Castle's defense system was far beyond any of that. It was a combination of voice commands, manual controls, and even a mixture of Altean energy exchange. It would also have been exponentially easier for her to pick up on any of this if Coran wasn't the one explaining it to her. He was just far too completely and utterly distracting.

She'd try to focus on what his hands were doing, what he was typing into the panel and what levels he'd set the various dials too but her eyes would always wander up along the muscles of his arms. He'd then ask her a question and she wouldn't have the answer. And if Nayni was actually able to focus long enough to have a question of her own, he'd moved on to something else before she could get it out. It was probably the most frustrating situation she'd ever been in. If she didn't get some basic understanding of how all of this worked she was going to get them all killed. That might be an overdramatic sentiment but she still felt an immense pressure.

Coran took a step back from the main control panel. He put his hands on his hips, the fabric of his uniform was pulled tightly across his chest. Nayni's eyes kept darting between his pecs and the control panel.

"Let's give this another shot," Coran sighed. "Try firing off one of the lasers again. Don't even bother aiming for one of those asteroids this time."

He was getting frustrated too. She could hear the strain in his voice. Nayni scratched her scalp. He'd shown her how to do this probably a hundred times now but she still couldn't do it without him walking her through it. Nayni didn't want to make things worse by asking him to show her yet again. She furrowed her brow as she stared at the control panel. It felt wrong standing behind this. It was so foreign to what she was used to. Coran let out an aggravated sigh.

"Do you need me to show you again?" He groaned.

She shot him a dirty look.

"No! I know what I'm doing!" Nayni snapped.

She was lying and he probably was well aware of it. She reached for a large and intimidating looking button in the upper left corner of the panel.

"That's not it," Coran said.

He grabbed her hand and moved it down to the dial just below it. She slapped his hand away and turned the dial. The Castle made a rather alarming noise. It was a grinding sound that started growing louder and louder. Coran shrieked and turned the dial back down.

"I said fire the laser, not blow us up!" Coran snapped.

Nayni whirled around. The grinding sound had now been replaced by the gentle, steady hum of the laser cannon charging up.

"If you weren't such a terrible teacher, I'd have figured this out by now!" Nayni growled.

Coran's nostrils were flared. He looked like he was the one that was about to blow up.

"Just. Fire. The. Stupid. Laser," Coran seethed.

He seized her by the shoulders and tried to physically turn her back around. She pushed his hands away.

"Don't touch me!," Nayni said.

She couldn't handle him touching her right now. She spun back around. Nayni tried to recall which button she had to hit to trigger the firing mechanism but she was so flustered and angry now that her mind was drawing a blank. She groaned and started to rub her temples. Even just feeling his presence behind her was too much. She couldn't focus at all.

"For King Groggery's sake-" Coran muttered.

He pushed Nayni aside and this only infuriated her more. His face was red and he was fuming. Coran gestured stiffly to the button in the middle of the control panel.

"There! That's the trigger! Just hit it!" Coran snapped.

Nayni folded her arms across her chest.

"Well, if you're going to talk to me like this then I'm not hitting it," Nayni said.

He clenched and unclenched his fist. His hand was shaking.

"Fine, I'll just hit it then!" Coran said.

Nayni slapped his hand away again.

"No, I'm supposed to do it so I'm going to do it!" Nayni said through clenched teeth.

Nayni slammed her hand down on the button. Nothing happened. She hit it again. Still nothing. She furiously started smacking the button and nothing continued to happen. Coran wiggled in front of her and tried to examine the panel.

"Hold on, hold on, something must be wrong," Coran said.

She felt like she was going to tear her hair out.

"I did exactly what you told me to do!" Nayni growled.

Coran continued to adjust the other settings on the control panel. She was trembling she was so angry.

"You can't just sit here and fiddle with it yourself! I need to know how to fix this!" Nayni ranted. "How am I supposed to fire the stupid laser when there's a fleet of Galra battleships around us if you keep doing it for me!?"

She could hear the hum of the laser charging again. It was slowly growing louder. Coran got right in her face. The tip of his nose was practically touching hers. His eyes were full of anger.

"You've messed something up! I'm just trying to figure out what you did!" He snapped.

Nayni let out a growl and shoved him back away. She slammed her fist down on the trigger again. The massive blue laser finally fired off into the inky black void of space. It sounded like a lion's roar as it ripped through the abyss. She just stood there with her fist still on the button, glaring at him. He was glaring right back at her. She'd finally fired the stupid quiznacking laser but she had no idea how she'd actually accomplished this. His chest was rising up and down as he took in deep angry breaths. So was hers.

"This whole process would be going much more smoothly if you weren't so quiznacking distracting," Nayni seethed.

He was taken aback.

"I'm the distracting one!?" Coran said. "You're the distracting one with your-"

Coran waved his arms around gesturing to her body.

"That's stupid!" Nayni snapped. "You're just standing around looking all pretty with your perfectly done hair and your stupid face and your stupid tight pants!"

He slammed his fist on the control panel. They'd never gotten each other this angry before. Not once in all the years that they had known each other.

"My pants are not stupid!" Coran yelled. " _Your_ pants are stupid! That cute face you make when you're confused is stupid! And your stubby, cute, little hands are stupid!"

That was just uncalled for. Her hands were not stubby. Nayni's face felt as if it were on fire.

"Coran Hieronymous Wimbleton Smythe," Nayni bristled.

She jabbed her finger right in his face.

"You are by far the most infuriating Altean I have ever met." Nayni went on. "You're a foppish showman who talks way too much and spends far too much time on his appearance. You always smell like you rolled around in the local sweet shop and twirl that stupid mustache and you make bad puns and-"

Her hand was starting to shake. She felt her words catching in her throat.

"You're dangerously charming," Nayni stammered. "Loyal a-and intelligent and so incredibly handsome-"

Coran had grabbed her by the collar of her uniform before she could continue. Nayni's lips met his and he seized her by the waist. He pulled her up against his hard body. She kissed him with ten thousand years of built-up passion. His mustache felt so delightfully rough against her skin. Nayni grabbed him by the hair and pulled him closer to her. She surrendered to him and let his tongue slip between her lips. His hands were roving all over her, traveling over every curve and crevice.

Nayni pulled away and gasped for air. She looked up into his eyes. He kept his arm firmly around her waist. Her hand was resting on his chest. They looked at the entry doors nervously and then back at each other. Nayni swallowed nervously. She could still feel his hot breath on her face.

"I'm so sorry," Coran stammered. "I shouldn't have-"

Nayni put a finger to his lips to silence him. She'd spent a good many years imagining what it'd be like to kiss him. She'd lay awake in her bed at night and fantasize about him but she never believed she'd actually act on these feelings. Out of all of the scenarios that her brain had concocted this was not at all how she imagined the scene to unfold.

"I quite liked that actually," Nayni squeaked.

She was trying to smother the desperate need she had to swoon but it was proving most difficult.

"Would you be opposed to continuing?" Coran asked.

"I would not be opposed to that at all," Nayni confessed.

Coran grabbed her by the neck and pulled her in for another kiss. She couldn't hold back the unrelenting desire any longer. The thirst she'd harbored for this man had been making her heartache for years. They were tearing at each other's clothes like animals. Coran yanked down her collar and started planting torturous kisses along the curve of her neck. Her legs were squirming and writhing. Coran helped push her up onto the control panel.

The particle barrier went up around the Castle. She wrapped her legs around his waist. The Castle's lasers began firing off in every direction. The combat drones deployed and swarmed around the Castle. Nayni was clawing at Coran's back desperately. The Castle's alarm started to wail as they kissed each other. Red error messages exploded across the main monitor. She kissed the Royal Advisor with a hungry passion. She savored the taste of his mouth and the sticky feeling of his sweaty skin against hers.

"What the heck is going on up there?" Shiro bellowed over the intercom system.

They froze. Coran's face was flushed, his red hair was a complete mess. Nayni had torn open his uniform and half of his bare chest was exposed. Little droplets of sweat were sliding down her olive skin and the nape of her neck.

"Coran!" Shiro pressed. "The Castle's going crazy! What's going on?!"

Coran tried to reach for a button to the left of Nayni. His fingers barely touched the surface of the console.

"Um, everything's fine, everything's fine," Coran stammered. "Situation normal."

Nayni slid off of the control panel and started to frantically button up her uniform again. Her bun was almost undone, and her brown hair was falling into her face. She was far too terrified to say a word. She just wanted to completely vanish from the face of existence.

"All right, Coran," Shiro said over the intercom. "Let's try not to alert the entire galaxy to our presence?"

Coran was already furiously working the controls, shutting down all the weapons systems that they'd accidentally triggered.

"Yes, yes, sorry about that," Coran said. "My mistake."

He was short of breath and so was she. Nayni tried to run her fingers through her thick hair to straighten it out. She could smell him all over her. It was as if he'd gotten into her very blood. The Castle's particle barrier dropped. The drones returned to their bays and the laser cannons made a soft hum as they shut back down. Coran let out a long tired sigh when it was all handled. He looked to Nayni and laughed nervously. His blue shirt was hanging half open and he was drenched with sweat.

Nayni had expected to feel some regret. Some deep shame from breaking that promise she'd made to herself all those years ago. But she felt none of these things. Her heart was still fluttering from the thrill of it. Her head was spinning. Still, Nayni forced herself to try and maintain some composure. Coran tried to fix his uniform but the top of his collar just kept flopping to the side.

"I believe you've torn off one of my buttons," Coran said sheepishly.

Nayni's ears and cheeks flushed.

"My apologies," Nayni said briskly.

Coran just smirked. Nayni pulled out one of the pins that had been holding her bun in place. She tried to skewer it through his collar so it would stop falling to the side. She was searching for what to say. This had been such a long time coming and she hadn't thought of a single witty thing to say to him. After they seemed to have made themselves somewhat presentable they both took their positions next to each other at the control panel.

"I don't know about you-" Coran said.

He had a sly smile on his face and that twinkle was back in his eye.

"-But I am not nearly as distracted now." Coran finished.

Nayni allowed herself to giggle. She didn't need to be the one to say something clever. That was always up to Coran and he did a marvelous job of it.

"We've got work to do, Coran," Nayni sighed. "You know the whole war and the fighting and the dying bits."

He leaned in close to her. He towered over her and it made her melt.

"There will be no dying, Nayni, I won't allow that," Coran cooed.

They inched a bit closer to each other as he went on about the Castle defenses again. Focusing on his words wasn't much easier but she was too exhausted to be frustrated by anything for now. She leaned against him as he gestured to the various parts of the control panel and explained again what they did. They had waited so long for this. They'd waited longer then they should have and that was mostly on her account. It hadn't exactly been the conversation that the Princess had been suggesting but it would have to suffice for now. The time for talking would be after the Battle for Terrapin.


	6. Underneath Your Clothes

Nayni was bracing herself against the control panel. The Teludav jump had made her sick but there was no time to have any of Coran's tea. Coran was behind her, manning the Castle's helm. The view of the Terrapin system was spread out before them. The planet was like an orange marble floating in an obsidian sea. The status of the Galra fleet hadn't changed. They were bracing for that to change at any moment. The Blade of Marmora fighters blazed by the Castle leaving a trail of violet behind them. The shabby rebel ships were puttering towards the Galra vessels. The bridge was full of the sound of chatter over the communications system. Her heart was racing. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready for a lot of the things that had started happening. She didn't recognize half of the voices that were coming out of the speakers. Coran seemed to have that handled at least.

She was typing into the control panel. She thought she was prepping the Castle's systems but Nayni wasn't entirely sure she was even doing that properly. Coran was working so swiftly it seemed as if he was moving in a blur. The dizziness she was feeling wasn't really helping with that. Nayni found that her hands were shaking a bit. The five Lions flew in formation across their field of view. This was it. Nayni was fixated on the Blue Lion as it weaved around the other fighters. Nayni believed in Allura's abilities but she still hated to see the Princess out on the front lines.

"Nayni," Coran called.

She looked over her shoulder, her ears perked up.

"I need the particle barrier up," Coran said.

She ran her fingers across the panel and the blue barrier erupted around the Castle. If they were going to die at least Nayni would be able to slow them down. It was hard to imagine that just a few vargas ago they'd been writhing on top of this very control panel like a couple of adolescents. Her ears were flushed before she realized it.

"Coran, if we die-" Nayni began.

"No one's dying," Coran assured.

She'd have to tell him afterward. The Galra ships were already firing on them. Their neon violet lasers were cutting through the inky blackness of space. One of the beams barely caught the Castle and the vessel shook. She nearly vomited. The tranquil view of Terrapin was now occupied by chaos. Explosions and laser fire of every color were flying across their view and fighters were whizzing around them like a swarm of insects. Nayni had been so conditioned to wait for orders that she was frozen. Coran had already started firing off the main canon. She watched the Galra fighters in its path explode into stardust.

"Nayni, we need to lay down some cover fire for the Paladins," Coran said.

He didn't even glance away from his monitor as he spoke. Nayni hesitated over the console for a moment before she started turning on the cannons. Coran was setting up the targeting parameters on his monitor. Nayni waved her hand across the controls and the Castle's lasers rained down on the fighters. Another blast from the Galra's dreadnaught slammed into the Castle's barrier. Nayni braced herself on the control panel again, her feet slipped on the floor.

"We need to take out that ion cannon!" Coran transmitted to the fleet.

Nayni was firing off the Castle's lasers as fast as she could command them. She froze when she heard Shiro's voice crackled over the transmitter.

"All right, team," Shiro said. "Form Voltron!"

It had been so long since she had seen this moment and even still it was from a much farther distance than this. Her violet eyes grew wide as she watched the Lions weaving around each other. They radiated quintessence as the Lions reassembled themselves and joined together. In an explosion of blue light, they came together and Voltron hovered before them. She was awestruck. Allura was part of this. Her Princess was a part of this.

"Nayni!" Coran hollered. "Keep firing!"

She started working the control panel again. It seemed so pointless now. Voltron tore through the Galra forces like they were made of paper. For every fighter the Castle took out, Voltron destroyed several more. The robot formed its shining blade and sliced through the Galra warship. Nayni had to shield her eyes from the bright flash of the explosion. Coran let out a holler of celebration. Nayni couldn't help but cheer too. Coran kept operating the main console. He'd fire off the main cannon and adjust the targeting parameters. Nayni could barely keep up with him. He took to this so naturally.

"We're gonna make a break for the surface," Keith said over the transmitter.

Nayni watched the Marmora fighters dive to the surface of Terrapin. The Castle took another hit from a Galra warship and shook. Voltron sliced through their ion cannon before they could fire another shot. They were really pushing them back. All of her doubts and fears had been for nothing. Another explosion of light indicated the loss of yet another Galra ship. The way Voltron moved through the battle was like watching a well-rehearsed performance.

Voltron ripped through the last of the warships. The remaining Galra fighters started to flee from the system. The purple blips on Coran's monitor began flickering to the edge of his screen. It wasn't over yet. The rest of their fleet could return but after she'd witnessed how the new Paladins worked, Nayni wasn't as fearful as she should be. Voltron flew through the smoldering remains of the battle. Stray ships parts were floating through space, bouncing off of one another. They were heading for the surface.

"Coran, keep an eye out for reinforcements," Shiro commanded over the transmitter. "We'll let you know when you're clear to land."

Voltron slowly shrank as it descended to the planet and disappeared in its orange atmosphere. Moments ago this sector had been filled with sounds of explosions and laser fire. Now it was a silent graveyard. Nayni realized that her hands were still trembling. From the stories they'd told her, she knew Voltron was capable of so much more but to see it in person again was something else entirely. It was almost a spiritual experience. She refused to leave her post until the order was given. She didn't need to be warned about the dark things that could crawl out of the silence at moments like this.

"It's all right, Nayni," Coran said.

He seemed to read her mind. The only idea they had of what was going on on Terrapin's surface was the garbled chatter over the transmission channels. She looked at him. He was still working the console but with much less gusto now. His eyes kept flickering over the tracking programs. He flashed a smile at her and she couldn't help but return it.

"I told you, no one was going to die," Coran teased.

There was still plenty of time for people to die. He motioned for her to join him at the main console. Her joints were aching already. She had been standing so rigidly at her post and concentrating so hard. She was exhausted. The pin she'd put in his collar had fallen away and his neck was left exposed again. Even amidst all of this, he was a tad bit distracting.

"You were amazing," Nayni said.

She glanced out the window to the spacescape.

"They were amazing," Nayni said breathlessly.

It'd all gone by so quickly. It was still going. Coran rested a hand on her shoulder.

" _You_ were amazing," Coran said.

She snorted. He'd done most of the heavy lifting. She'd just figured out how to press the same set of buttons over and over. The Paladins had taken out most of the fleet on their own and now they were mopping up what remained of the Galra forces on the ground. They still couldn't completely be at ease. She kept expecting the alarms to sound and to see the reinforcements jumping into the planet's orbit. Surely the Galra had sent out some kind of distress signal when Voltron arrived. But they continued to wait. Coran continued to stare at the monitor and nothing appeared. Something just didn't feel right to Nayni.

* * *

Terrapin's surface was even more beautiful up close. The landscape was rolling deserts made up of pink sands and enormous white mesas. Giant green cacti sprouted up from the ground with patches of long yellow grass, swaying in the wind. Nayni felt strange when she realized this was the first planet she'd set foot on in ten thousand years. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was very off. Coran must have felt it too. His posture was tense and stiff. When Shiro had told them to land the Castle his tone seemed grim.

The Terrapin village was littered with broken Galra drones. Whisps of grey smoke rose into the air from the twitching limbs of the broken robots. The Paladins were gathered around the village elder. The hulking alien hand a sagging wrinkled neck and a missing eye. The edges of his protective shell were well worn and grey. Keith was with them, clad in his dark armor. None of them looked to be in high spirits. Allura looked frustrated. She was pleading with the elder and it seemed as if this had been going on for quite a while.

"No," The Elder said. "No meeting until Lotor comes."

He waved his thick clawed hand through the air as he spoke.

"Lotor has biggest stick, you do not have biggest stick," The Elder said.

Coran and Nayni exchanged a confused look. This was not what they'd expected of the Terrapin. Keith sighed and shook his head.

"We literally blew up an entire fleet of Galra with Voltron!" Keith snapped. "What else could you possibly want!?"

This deeply offended the Elder. He stuck his head out even farther from his shell.

"Keith, now there's no need for all of that," Coran said.

The red-haired Altean stepped forward. Coran puffed out his chest and beat his hand against it once. Nayni assumed it had been the customary greeting of these aliens. The Elder nodded in approval and pounded his claw against his armored chest.

"The orange one has manners," The Elder said.

Keith folded his arms and grunted. Allura sighed with relief. Coran approached the Elder. He kept his posture rigid and tall.

"This orange one is called Coran and I'm the Advisor to Princess Allura and the Paladins of Voltron," Coran said.

He spoke with such authority. Nayni found her heart fluttering a bit.

"We know this and we don't care," The Elder said.

The folds of his neck jiggled as he spoke. The other Terrapin around him nodded with agreement.

"But Voltron is the biggest stick," Coran assured. "Surely, Lotor told you all of this."

The Elder scowled, well it looked like he scowled. His face seemed to be perpetually scowling so Nayni wasn't sure.

"But there is no Lotor with you, so you are not true friend of Lotor," The Elder said.

All of the Paladins groaned.

"We've been stuck in this loop for a while now, Coran," Shiro explained.

That wasn't good. Coran stroked the edge of his mustache and held his head high.

"Well, Lotor's not here because he helped draw away the enemy fleet," Coran explained. "I'm sure if we just hale him from our ship we can get him here."

This suggestion struck a chord with Lance and Hunk. Nayni could see their distaste for it in their expressions. Lance's eyes darted to the Princess. His affection for her ran deep enough that she was his only concern it appeared.

"Then we wait," The Elder said.

There was going to be no avoiding a personal encounter with Lotor then. Nayni was going to see the notorious Galra prince in the flesh.

"What an inconvenience," Nayni said dryly.

The Elder stamped his large wooden staff on the ground and nodded.

"We will not speak of who has the bigger stick until you bring him to us," The Elder said.

This was an irritating turn of events. None of them really trusted Lotor and now to secure this alliance they'd have to have him present for their negotiations. It would either go smoothly or end up with a pile of corpses. She suspected that the latter would be the case.

"We just liberated your planet from the Galra! That should be enough for you!" Keith fumed.

The Elder's one eye grew wide.

"Allow us to crush the squishy one and we may compare sticks," The Elder proposed.

While this horrified the rest of them, it made Lance snicker to himself.

"There won't be any crushing happening here," Shiro said.

The Elder's neck wobbled as he retracted his head back a bit. The sharpness of Shiro's tone seemed to intimidate him. It did not take long for him to stick his head out again. He stretched his neck out even farther than he had before.

"Then we wait for Lotor," The Elder said.

He stamped his staff on the ground again and waved them away.

"We will not compare sticks until you do this," The Elder asserted. "You may rest on our great burrow for the night but you must leave if he does not return."

The Elder and the other Terrapin started to shuffle back to their red clay houses. Keith kicked a rock in frustration, a cloud of pink dust exploded into the air. Coran was the only one who didn't seem surprised by any of this.

"This was a waste of time," Hunk sighed. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted him."

Nayni didn't think this came down to a matter of trust. Lotor had drawn away part of the fleet. It was possible that he had planned to make a surprise attack but they had more time to prepare for it now at least.

"Are these turtle people even worth the effort? They seem pretty happy to just have things stay as they are," Pidge said.

Allura turned on the Green Paladin.

"Every liberated system is worth it!" Allura protested. "Every race in this universe deserves freedom."

Shiro stepped between them. His tuft of white hair was rustling in the breeze.

"Guys, this isn't the time to argue. We all need some rest," Shiro said. "Let's sleep on it and regroup in the morning."

It might waste valuable time but they all weren't sure what their stance on Lotor was. Nayni was pretty desperate to lay her head down too. She was still sick from the Teludav jump and the battle had been draining for her. She didn't have the same boundless energy that the rest of these youngsters had.

"We'll touch base in twelve vargas," Shiro suggested. "Sound good?"

They all grumbled in agreement. If the Terrapin were going to grant them safe harbor for the night they might as well take advantage of it. Now that the battle was done and it results were fully laid out, something else was nagging her. Nayni swallowed hard and looked to Coran. The Paladins were already marching back to the Castle. She was scared but there wasn't really a point to it anymore. Coran had made it pretty clear earlier that he was interested too. It was probably a bit more than mere interest.

"Coran," Nayni croaked.

Why was it every time that she had to address him about intimate matters she turned into a quivering little rodent?

"We should probably have a chat," Nayni said. "In private."

He ran his fingers along the curve of her cheek. His expression was soft and warm. He was already turning her legs into food goo again.

"Of course," Coran said softly. "Shall we meet in my quarters?"

Nayni's heart stopped beating for a moment. There wasn't really a better place was there? Anywhere else on the Castle would leave open the chance for someone to interrupt them. They'd already been walked in on once and she really rather not deal with that mess again.

"I suppose that will have to do," Nayni said.

This was going to be rather stressful and might require a great deal of alcohol.

* * *

It seemed that the control panel by Coran's door was staring right back at Nayni. It was taunting her. She felt like she was going to soil herself. She'd been going over what she wanted to say in her head. She'd gone over it a thousand times while she was scarfing down food goo in the kitchen. There was no alcohol on the Castle so she was going to have to build up the nerve on her own. They'd already wasted so much time. _She_ had already wasted so much time. After what had happened on the bridge, there was no more running. They had to face this now.

She could hear Coran's footsteps echoing in the hall before she saw him. She felt so scared and excited that she thought she was going to retch. When he came into view she felt as if she were on fire. He lit up her face just as Tomyko had.

"Madame Nordontu," He said coyly.

Coran had greeted her this way millions of times but she melted to it this time. Her hands were trembling so she stuck them behind her back. There wasn't really a point to hiding her anxiety but she still felt the need to. He typed into the control panel and the door to his quarters slid open. The interior was a bit simpler than she'd expected but it still screamed Coran. A flamboyant outfit was hanging on the wall along with several pictures of King Alfor. He'd thrown a decorative blue rug on the floor and a pair of ridiculous slippers were placed at the foot of his bed. She ran her fingers along a shelf and looked over the various knick-knacks that were on display.

The door closed behind them and she felt a fresh wave of panic. She was afraid to even look at him. Coran rubbed the back of his neck. He even seemed nervous but not nearly as much as she was. She was absolutely certain of that.

"If this is too much, we don't have to do this," Coran said.

It was too much but there would not be another opportunity. Nayni had already blown so many chances with him that she needed to take this now.

"I've made too many mistakes over the years with you," Nayni said. "I'm sorry for that."

There was no point dancing around it.

"I kept pushing you away because I was scared. I was just a scared little girl the whole time," Nayni explained.

He reached for her hand. Coran held it in his, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles to soothe her.

"It's okay, Nayni," Coran said. "You lost your wife. That was the person you expected to spend the rest of your life with. Anyone would've struggled with that. It all made so much more sense to me after the Paladins revived Allura and I. We'd lost everything—I thought I'd lost you too."

Why did he have to be so perfect? She wasn't worthy of him.

"I wanted you for so long," Nayni confessed. "Ever since you asked me to dance."

The corner of her lips curled up into a smile. His did too.

"It started a bit earlier for me," Coran said.

If she was perfectly honest it had started as soon as they'd met. It just hadn't gotten agonizing until later. This mess was making her tear up. She'd been so stupid. She'd been such a fool. She couldn't undo all those years. All they had was now.

"I was always just the stuffy Captain of the Guard," Nayni chuckled. "And you were this charming, fashionable man who could've had anyone you wanted. Do you realize how many Alteans were scrambling for the chance to get in your bed?"

Coran smirked. The lines of his face suited him so nicely.

"Do you know how many times I imagined what your muscles looked like under that quiznacking uniform?" Coran teased.

She blushed. The fact that he had been thinking about her in such a manner was overwhelming. She sat down on his bed. The mattress was much plusher than hers. He must've replaced it. Coran took his place next to her. She rested her hand on his thigh. Nayni had never been so bold before.

"Our entire civilization is gone and we just happen to be the lucky few who are left," Nayni mused. "I'm not sure what's a bigger sign from the universe that I should-"

She was scared to say it. She'd said it to herself in secret. She'd thought it for so many years every time she saw him. Saying it out loud, to him, was terrifying. Tomyko would've been throttling her right now. She would've been screaming at Nayni to make a move.

"I've loved you for quite some time, Mister Smythe," Nayni confessed.

The words finally had come. She'd been stuffing them down for so long. The immense weight of them had finally left. Coran cupped her face in his hand. He leaned so closely that she could feel his breath on her neck. The hairs of his mustache were tickling her pointed ears.

"And I've loved _you_ for quite some time, Madame Nordontu," Coran whispered.

She'd dreamt of this so many nights. She'd woken up covered in sweat in drenched sheets. Her face and ears flushed. Coran's lips moved along her neck, planting delicate kisses all the way to her collarbone. She melted to his touch. There was nothing to fear in this moment. They would always have this and she was going to savor it. She just wasn't sure what she was going to do with him. The last time she'd been with someone was Tomyko. It had been even longer since she'd been with a man.

She didn't want this to be like what happened on the bridge. This needed to be tender. This needed to be soft and slow. She ran her fingers along the thin patch of red hair on his chest. She slipped out of her shirt. She felt a twinge of fear about the jagged scar on her side but it didn't seem to bother him. They kissed slowly. He was always the one making the bold moves first. Their clothes ended up in a pile on the floor. Her brown hair fell around her face like a wild mane. They took their time. It was so slow and deliciously torturous. All of her fears seemed so silly now. She'd never felt as safe as she did in his arms. The last time she'd felt like this was with Tomyko.

They cradled one another in each other's arms. Nayni had wrapped herself around him like a vice. Coran ran his fingers along her shoulder. It made her skin tingle. Nayni nuzzled her face into his chest. She could feel his chin resting on the top of her head. He still smelled of spiced tea.


	7. Wherever You Will Go

Nayni's eyes were heavy with exhaustion as she made the walk back to her quarters. She'd made this walk so many times now that she barely focused on the turns she had to take any more. The days were growing colder. The seasons were shifting on Altea. The flowers in the royal courtyard would stop blooming soon and everything would fade to grey for the coming winter. The night skies would harbor a deep violet hue and the air would be bitterly cold. The Guardsmen were shuffling around as their posts ended and the next began. Servants and diplomats were flocking out of the Palace in clusters. It was a day ending as every other day had ended. It was the same routine that she'd found comfort in. It gave Nayni a reason to get up in the morning and hope to help her stave off the loneliness that came with the night.

"Nayni? Nayni Nordontu?"

A male voice was calling to her from the distance. She turned on her heel to look behind her. The Altean man was jogging across the courtyard to her. His blue hair was cut close to his head and he was clad in the uniform of an Army officer. His face seemed familiar to Nayni but she couldn't quite place him. His outfit told her enough about him. This was going to be unpleasant.

"It is you!" He said.

He skidded to a stop and his ears bounced. The gold medals on his jacket were twinkling in the fading sunlight. He extended a hand in greeting and she shook it awkwardly. Nayni just wanted to get back to her quarters. This was a conversation that she didn't want to happen. He clearly recognized her though so there was no escaping from it.

"I don't know if you remember me. I'm Sergeant Doriun, I was in the same squad as your wife," He said.

Nayni had seen him at some of the annual gatherings. Tomyko had introduced them to each other in passing but their conversations had never been very memorable. The flood of tainted memories had already started.

"I believe we've met a few times," Nayni said.

Her tone couldn't sound anymore dejected. She must be a sad sight to see up close with the bags under her eyes and the frown lines on her round face.

"I head you're Captain of the Royal Guard now," Doriun said. "That's great."

It was already getting awkward.

"Yes and I see you've been promoted," Nayni said.

Of course, he had. He'd probably been promoted as soon as his commanding officer died. He'd been at the funeral too. She could recall a blue tuft of hair hanging out in the back of the room.

"It's good to see you doing so well after all that's happened," Doriun said.

She wasn't exactly doing so well. She was in flux. She loved her job and lived for every minute of it but her personal life was a mess. She didn't really know how to respond to him. She just wanted to walk away and be done with it. Nayni didn't care for the pitty in his eyes either.

"I think Tomyko would be proud of you," Doriun added.

He had no right to say that. He couldn't possibly know what would've made Tomyko happy. The comment made her stiffen. This boy hadn't been there when she'd whispered secrets in the dark to her wife. He hadn't listened to the constant words of encouragement that Tomyko showered her with every day. He had no idea what Tomyko's hopes and fears were. All he knew was that she was tall and pretty and gave good orders. But Nayni knew Tomyko wouldn't want her yelling at the boy.

"I'm sure she'd be just as pleased with your accomplishments," Nayni said.

She was talented at being awkward. That had never changed no matter how much Tomyko had tried.

"Oh the years have been good to me," Doriun said.

Nayni wrinkled her nose as he started to prattle on about his life since being in Tomyko's squad. He was still young and cocky. He didn't seem to get the hint that she wanted to just move on. He was a living breathing reminder of the most horrible event to have ever occurred in her life. Her eyes darted around the courtyard. She just needed to find one excuse to get away from him and she'd be free. Nayni just kept nodding as he went on about some tale where he'd gotten his first real promotion. Doriun was going as far as to mimic firing a laser rifle with his hands.

Her rescuer arrived in the courtyard. Coran had rounded a corner and was staring intently at a datapad in his hand. Of course it was him. It always had to be Coran. He looked up from his pad. A smile immediately came across his face and he gave her a friendly wave. He raised an inquisitive brow when she only responded with a frown. Nayni mouthed the words 'help me' to him. He grinned. Coran was always up to dealing with an awkward situation. He took his time sauntering over to them. Why did he take such joy in torturing her? Coran stood behind the blue-haired soldier and toyed with his mustache.

"Madame Nordontu!" Coran said.

Doriun jumped and Nayni had to hold back a smile.

"Sorry to interrupt but I'm afraid we've got a situation with the Princess!" Coran lied. "I'm going to need you to come with me."

Doriun was falling for it. He looked genuinely shocked.

"I'm sorry, I should let you go," Doriun said. "It was nice seeing you."

Coran swept her away before she could get another word out. She was trying to ignore the warmth of his hand on her shoulder. She could barely keep pace with him.

"We've got to make haste," Coran whispered. "We have to keep up the illusion that there's an actual emergency and all that."

It was a solid plan but her legs were much shorter than his so it was pretty difficult to keep up with his long strides. They were making a break for his office. He kept glancing over his shoulder as if they were being followed. It was completely unnecessary and stupid but it made her giggle. They put a good bit of distance between the courtyard and themselves before they came to a stop. Nayni leaned against a wall and shook her head. Coran went rigid and saluted her with that devilish grin plastered on his face.

"Mission accomplished, Madame Nordontu," Coran said.

She actually saluted him in response. His stupidity was rubbing off on her.

"Thank you, Mister Smythe," Nayni said. "I wasn't sure I was going to get out of that tight spot."

They both chuckled over that.

"Who was that anyway?" Coran pried. "An unwanted suitor?"

Now that was hilarious. Only one person had approached her in such a manner since Tomyko passed away and that insipid young Sergeant wasn't one of them. It was rather flattering that he would think that such a thing would happen to her. Her smile faded before she responded to him.

"No, he was from Tomyko's squad back in the day," Nayni said. "He recognized me."

Even though they'd run away from Doriun she was still left with the unwanted emotions he'd stirred up. Coran was taken aback. His shoulders fell and he looked concerned.

"You don't sound too happy about that," Coran said.

He knew her well enough to know that was still a sore topic for her. She just shook her head.

"Seeing his face-" Nayni said. "It just brought me right back to all of that."

She'd never really spoken to Coran about this. She hadn't spoken to anyone about it. It'd been easy to avoid the conversation in the Royal Guard. Most of the guardsmen didn't know Tomyko and she didn't have to deal with any of their old friends.

"I remember when I found out," Nayni said. "I felt so calm. I just went cold. I should've been crying or shouting or something but I just couldn't."

She couldn't believe she was telling this to him. Nayni had literally just run away from someone so she didn't have to relive that moment. He just stood there listening. He wasn't prying. He wasn't asking the questions that had come up shortly after. Everyone had wanted to know what had happened. They had swarmed around her like flies to a corpse but they'd been gone so quickly. And she had been left alone.

"All they handed me was this little pink urn," Nayni went on. "I didn't even get to see her. There'd been nothing left. One day I had her in my arms and the next day she was ashes."

Coran wrapped his arms around her. She found herself shaking. His hands rubbed her back. She let herself slip just a little bit. She let herself melt in the warmth of his arms.

"I'm so sorry," Coran murmured.

The tears were already streaming down Nayni's face.

"I just wanted to know why. Why was it that out of all the shuttles in the fleet, that it had to be hers? How is it that one little mechanical error could take her away from me? I didn't get to say goodbye. I didn't get to kiss her one last time," Nayni sobbed.

She was smearing her tears all over his crisp, clean shirt but neither of them seemed to care. She pulled away from him. She wiped her wet nose on her sleeve. Night had taken hold of the palace. Nayni could barely make out the shape of Coran's face in the din. Her outburst felt good but it wouldn't stop the pain. It was always there but it had slowly been fading away ever since she'd met him.

"My apologies, Mister Smythe," Nayni said. "This was most unexpected."

She tried to walk away but he seized her by the arm. His violet eyes were like a shining beacon in the darkness.

"You shouldn't be alone right now," Coran said.

She didn't want to be alone. She hated being alone but she could not allow herself to fall back into his arms. Nayni had to walk away. She didn't turn around even after he called to her. Nayni couldn't allow that to happen ever again. It didn't matter that the universe was at peace. It didn't matter that there hadn't been any wars in years. Tragedies still happened. At any moment something awful and unpredictable could happen, stripping away everything they held dear. It had happened to her and she didn't want that to happen to him. Nayni never wanted Coran to ever experience something that ugly. She never wanted him to feel the way that she had even if that meant pushing him away.

* * *

Coran's snoring had kept Nayni from sleeping most of the night but she was content to lay in his arms as the last few dobashes till dawn ticked by. He still had a habit of drooling and had smeared quite a good portion of his slobber in her hair. She didn't want to forget this night. She wanted to carry it with her for the rest of her days. Coran mumbled some gibberish and pulled her closer to him. They may have been in the autumnal days of their life but he still could put the moves on her like a young man.

She finally felt like Tomyko would be proud of her. That she'd find peace in whatever realm her quintessence had ascended to. Nayni traced her fingertips along the surface of his knuckles. She used to be so afraid of him experiencing the pain of loss but he had already. She hadn't been here to see it but Coran had faced the downfall of Altea and he endured. She wished she could've been there with him and Allura but a late arrival was better than no arrival at all.

She rolled over, the sheets of his bed felt incredible against her skin. It was only the best for him. Or the best he could do given the circumstances. She wiped the drool away from the corner of his mouth with her thumb. Coran was so put together while he was conscious and he was a mess when he was asleep. It was rather adorable. Nayni gently patted the side of his face to try and wake him. He only snored even louder. How had she forgotten that waking him up was nearly impossible?

"Coran!" Nayni shouted.

His violet eyes flew open and he sat up so quickly that he nearly knocked her out of the bed. It didn't take him long to get his bearings again. His red hair was sticking up in every direction. Coran looked at her and a smirk spread across his face.

"I half expected you to be gone by the time I woke up," Coran teased.

She took no offense. She had run away from him more times than either of them could count. She wrapped her arms around Coran and nestled her face against his neck.

"There won't be any more running away," Nayni said. "Besides your bed is far more comfortable than mine."

Coran gave her a tight squeeze and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. His mustache still felt damp from the substantial amount of drool that he'd expelled. He threw off the blankets and hopped out of bed. He stretched out his limbs and let out a yawn. Nayni flushed as she took in the sight of his exposed body. At some point, she'd have to stop getting so flustered around him. She could hear his bones popping as he continued to stretch. Coran climbed into the sanitary shower in the corner of his quarters. It was abysmally tiny. There was no way the two of them would fit in there, she'd have to wait her turn.

She watched him dip his head under the spray of hot water. The stream of water ran down the curve of his muscles as the steam fogged up the glass door. Coran was torturing her again and he wasn't even aware of it. He started belting out an Altean pop song that had been popular when they were adolescents. She could see the blurred outline of his body as he scrubbed himself down. He stepped out of the shower. His hair was still damp and clinging to his face.

Nayni got to her feet. Her legs were still quivering and sore from the previous night. She was met with that devilish smirk again.

"What's the matter? What happened to your legs?" Coran goaded.

Nayni tried to look seductive as she stepped into the sanitary shower but she slipped on the wet tile and had to catch herself on the door. She gripped onto the edge of the wall and chuckled awkwardly. She was never destined to be as graceful as he was.

"This is all your fault," Nayni said.

"I believe it was a combined effort," Coran said slyly.

He started spraying some awful smelling product in his hair. She retreated into the shower. She could hear him shuffling about the room as he readied himself for the day. The hot water felt amazing on her sore muscles. Nayni wasn't as fit as she used to be. She'd put on a layer of chub as she aged. She wasn't proud of it but it hadn't stopped Coran from running his hands all over her.

"What's this in your pocket?" Coran called.

Instinct made her heart skip a beat. There wasn't a point to have that fear anymore. She didn't need to hide from him anymore.

"Well well well," Coran said. "What a handsome devil."

Nayni chuckled as she ran her fingers through her wet brown hair. He fell silent. He must've opened the pamphlet. Nayni stepped out of the shower. She reached for the soft fluffy towel that he'd laid out for her. He was already dressed, fresh and ready to face the day. He was stooped on the unkempt bed. Nayni's uniform was lying next to him and the open pamphlet cradled in his hands.

"I'd never seen a picture of her," Coran said. "She was stunning."

Nayni sat next to him. She toweled off her hair as she looked at the worn out photo. Tomyko had been a tall woman with fawn, light yellow-brown skin. A cascade of orange, curly hair fell about her shoulders. They were so young and so happy back when that photo was taken.

"You two would've gotten along," Nayni said. "She was a tough but very adventurous and glamorous woman."

Nayni started to slip her clothes back on. They were in need of a good washing but what she really needed was another set. Coran gingerly set the photo on his shelf. He propped it up against a picture of King Alfor. He propped up the old pamphlet too for good measure.

"Well she certainly had good taste," Coran said with a wink.

That made her smile. Nayni finished buttoning up her uniform and pulled her mass of hair back into a bun. Coran had a complicated process of getting ready for the day and it took her less than five dobashes. She finally felt like Tomyko would be happy with her and it was a great feeling to have.

"Well as much as I would enjoy laying around with you all day catching up, there's work to be done," Nayni said.

He hopped to his feet and gave her a peck on the cheek. It seemed he was still bent on getting her flustered to the point of death.

"-and you don't want anyone catching us leaving my quarters together," Coran mused.

He knew her too well. She wasn't really keen on the young Paladins finding out about them but in such close quarters, she knew it was going to come up at some point.

"Perceptive as always, Coran," Nayni sighed. "Shall we?"

Coran waved his hand over the control panel and the door to his quarters slid open. Lance had stopped mid-stride in the middle of the hallway and stared at them wide-eyed. Of course it had to be him. Of all of the Paladins to run into it had to be the Blue one. His eyes darted between the two of them and a smile crept across the boy's face. Nayni was already scowling.

"Aw, nice!" Lance exclaimed. "Coran, you still got game!"

She wanted to be tossed out of the airlock and slowly suffocate in the vacuum of space.

* * *

They had gathered on the bridge again. The rest of the Paladins were not in as high spirits as Lance was. Nayni was still rather grouchy from the unexpected encounter with him. At least the others would be oblivious for now. Keith had arrived with a gigantic and intimidating Galra with a jagged scar across his face. He was hooded and was adorned with the same set of armor as Keith. It was a tad unsettling to see a Galra in the Castle even if they were on the same side of the fight. There was another new face on the bridge. He could've been Pidge's twin if he wasn't so much taller than her. There was no doubt that they were related. It had to have been her brother Matt.

"Well I tried haling Lotor," Pidge said.

She turned in the seat of her station to face them. She didn't seem particularly hopeful about the situation.

"He still hasn't responded and I can't find his ship with my tracking program," Pidge explained.

They hadn't awoken to a fleet of Galra ships either so the situation was safe for now. Pidge climbed out of her station and joined them around the main console. Shiro sighed.

"Well unless he shows up soon we might have to leave the system empty-handed," Shiro said. "Do we have any other options, Coran?"

Her lover came forward and started typing into the main console. He brought up all of the Castle's archived information on the Terrapin again. The screen filled with images of pink deserts, dotted with mud huts and heavily armored tanks and fighters. Coran toyed with the end of his mustache as he thought it over.

"There might be a way to get them talking," Coran said. "But as far as I know no one's tried it before."

"If there's still a chance to solidify this alliance we have to take it," Allura said.

After surviving that battle yesterday Nayni was determined to do anything she could to make this plan manifest into reality. If Allura thought the Terrapin were valuable than she couldn't disagree with her.

"There's an old tradition on Terrapin," Coran explained. "It became a bit irrelevant once they became a planetary society but earlier in their history, they would test potential new tribesman with a gauntlet. If they allow us to be tested they might accept that as an example of our strength."

The Paladins could handle anything, Nayni was confident of that.

"I doubt you'd have trouble convincing them to give us a shot," Nayni said.

Her compliment made Lance snicker and she shot him a dirty look.

"Do you have any idea what we'd be up against?" Shiro asked.

Coran shrugged.

"An alien species has never attempted it," Coran said. "And there aren't a lot of records on exactly what happens."

They'd be going in blind.

"The Princess would have to be the one to issue the challenge," Coran added. "Since technically she is our leader."

It didn't matter how capable Allura was of taking care of herself now, Nayni couldn't allow her to charge blindly into a fight like that. The Princess seemed to know how Nayni was going to react before she even spoke. Allura held Nayni back before she could protest.

"If that's what it's going to take then I'll do it," Allura said.

Nayni wriggled her way past Allura.

"If you think I'm letting you run in there by yourself, you're insane," Nayni growled.

Coran was the concerned one now but he wasn't going to stop her. Nothing would stop her from accompanying the Princess.

"I'm going too," Lance said.

Lance volunteering for this endeavor didn't surprise Nayni. He looked as serious about this situation as she was.

"I don't think all the Paladins can go running in with her. I don't like it either but the whole point of it is to prove how strong of a leader she is," Coran said.

"Then it'll just be the three of us," Lance said. "That way if something happens we can get Allura out of there."

Allura crossed her arms. She was frustrated. Nayni didn't care if the Princess didn't approve. She'd feel better if Allura had some kind of backup.

"I'm perfectly capable of getting _myself_ out of there," Allura said.

She could do it. Allura was a warrior just like her father.

"I know you could," Nayni said. "But I'm not staying behind in the Castle while you go into battle by yourself. My place has always been right by your side, Lurie."

"Hell yeah, Nanny!" Lance cheered. "Let's do this!"

The Blue Paladin still didn't have the right to call her that but she refrained from scolding him. Nayni would have to get a particle shield and a blaster from the armory but that's all she'd need. The combination had gotten her out of plenty of sticky situations in her youth. Coran didn't seem very keen on the two of them jumping into the fray though.

"Are you sure about this Princess? We could always wait for Lotor to return," Coran pressed.

Allura shook her head and her purple earrings bounced.

"We can't wait for Lotor when a Galra fleet could be on top of us at any moment," Allura said. "The sooner we do this, the better."

Coran went rigid and simply nodded. Nayni recognized that look in his eye. She'd seen it before. He was afraid of losing them. She wouldn't make false promises to him. Nayni could never do that. Anything could happen in that gauntlet and giving him shallow comforts would do little to alleviate his fears. She knew that from her own experience. She used to constantly worry about him ever having to feel this way but she'd come to realize there was no stopping it.

"Lance, Nanny, prepare yourself," Allura ordered. "In half a varga, we issue the challenge."


	8. Can't Get You Out Of My Head

"Ya know, I hate that I agree with Keith, but I don't get why Voltron isn't enough to impress them either," Lance said. "I mean c'mon he's a giant robot that shoots lasers and swings around a big-ass sword!"

They were headed back to the Terrapin village. Nayni was adjusting the particle shield generator on her wrist. It was so tight her hand was starting to go numb. She was certain that the dusty blaster on her hip wasn't calibrated properly either. She'd done what she could but engineering wasn't exactly in her skill set. Their footfalls kicked up a cloud of white dust on the road behind them.

"I'm honestly surprised this issue didn't come up earlier," Coran said. "Voltron may have inspired hundreds of other systems to rebel against the Galra but we can't expect it to have the same effect on everyone. There's just no pleasing some people."

It was funny to hear that coming from Coran's mouth because he was remarkably gifted at pleasing people.

"Hopefully utilizing their cultural traditions will be enough to appease them," Allura said.

Coran had given specific instructions on how to act and what to say. He was going over the plan with Allura. Lance was by Nayni's side and she did not particularly like the look that he was giving her. It was going to take every ounce of her strength not to smack him across the face if he opened his mouth. It was inevitable though. She knew he couldn't resist making a snarky comment.

"So, you and Coran, huh?" Lance teased.

Maybe she'd find a way to accidentally get him killed during this gauntlet. Possibly something horribly painful. Allura would be very cross if Nayni allowed that to happen though.

"I'm glad you find this all so amusing. Truly your happiness is all I care about," Nayni said dryly.

Her sarcasm was emphasized by the stone cold scowl on her face.

"I think it's actually kind of cute," Lance said. "It's like something from a romance novel."

Nayni had to pause for a moment to let that sink in. She thought maybe she'd misheard the Blue Paladin but she, in fact, had not. Lance had just admitted to reading romance novels. The Earth versions of romance stories couldn't have been that drastically different from Altean ones. Nayni had devoured plenty of romantic teledramas and novels back in her day. By Altea, she actually had something in common with Lance.

"I expected something a bit more sassy to come out of your mouth," Nayni said.

There was no way she was going to actually admit to him that they shared an interest.

"Coran's been a good friend to me. It's nice seeing him happy," Lance admitted.

Her lover hadn't been wrong when he'd told her that there was much more to Lance than what was on the surface. Nayni expected more teasing from him and immature snickering, not this.

"He wasn't happy?" Nayni pried.

"Well, I mean he was good at looking like he was happy," Lance explained. "But we talked a lot about Altea and what his life used to be like. He was pretty devastated. I miss Earth too but it's still there. My family is still there. He didn't even have that going for him."

It was hard for Nayni to imagine Lance and Coran bonding like this. But she couldn't see him showing such vulnerability to the Princess. He must've felt an immense pressure to be strong for her. Nayni felt her guilt returning. She hadn't been there when she should've. She'd had no control over it but she still wanted to be there for him. This boy had been there for him in her absence though.

"Thank you for being there for him," Nayni said. "Truly."

Nayni watched Allura and Coran walking ahead of them as they came upon the cluster of red clay buildings. Lance's gaze darted over to the pair of Alteans and then he looked back at Nayni.

"You want some gossip, Nanny?" Lance said.

He was looking rather coy. She used to reprimand her Guardsmen for spreading rumors and talking behind the backs of their colleagues but when it came to anything involving Coran she was willing to devour up any morsel of information she could.

"We talked about you quite a bit," Lance said.

He was incredibly pleased with himself. Even after the events of last night Nayni was still rather overwhelmed to hear about this. The Terrapin Elder and his entourage were already approaching them. Nayni was blushing furiously but she needed to put on her game face. It was Allura who greeted the Terrapin this time. She beat her fist against her chest and held her head up high. Some of the other Terrapin had arrived clad in their stark grey battle armor. They seemed more than ready to try and coerce the lot of them to leave by force.

Nayni and Lance flanked Allura on either side of her. She exchanged a look with Coran. He wasn't displaying the concern on his face that she knew he was harboring. Nayni would have to ensure that they all returned without a scratch. The Elder's neck jiggled as he waddled over to them. His thick legs scraped along the dirt road. His one eye was boring right into them. He was not pleased to see them.

"Again you approach with no Lotor," The Elder seethed. "Do you wish to be crushed, squishy ones?"

The Terrapin guards stamped on the ground and held their gatling guns in position. They all whirred and buzzed as they started to charge up. If they opened fire, they'd all be ripped to shreds. Nayni readied herself to deploy the particle shield. It wouldn't do much against such heavy weapons though. Allura stepped forward. Her chest was puffed up and her eyes were narrowed with determination.

"As the leader of my people, I wish to attempt the ancient rite to join your tribe," Allura said.

The Princess projected her voice as loudly as she could. Her voice resonated with such strength that it gave Nayni chills.

"Once we pass your trial, you _will_ compare sticks with us," Allura said.

The Elder looked to his entourage. He said nothing before he turned to them. They all huddled together and whispered in hushed tones. The wait during the private conference was a bit nerve-wracking. Coran had said this tradition was very old and didn't seem entirely sure what was going to happen. They could very well turn around and send them packing.

The Elder finally turned to face them again. His entourage looked upon them with all their beady eyes blinking. The Terrapin didn't have very expressive faces but they seemed to do an exponential amount of blinking.

"Tradition say we cannot refuse you," The Elder said.

Nayni wanted to let out a sigh of relief but it would ruin the show they were trying to put on.

"Even Lotor did not attempt the rite. You must be brave and have many big stick," The Elder went on.

He was hesitating. The Elder craned his neck around to look at the Terrapin behind him.

"Then let us begin," Allura said.

She looked like a triumphant warrior queen as she stared them all down. The Princess was giving a stellar performance. Nayni thought she saw Lance blushing out of the corner of her eye. A younger Terrapin shuffled forward. He was tapping his claws together as he bobbed his head up and down.

"Well, see—um-it's been a while since anyone's done this so-" The Terrapin began.

He looked to the Elder and he retracted his neck back into his shell a bit. The Elder stamped his gnarled staff on the ground and the younger Terrapin immediately stuck his head out higher.

"We don't have the old gauntlet anymore, it's been dismantled," The Terrapin explained. "But if you can make it through one of our training exercises that would be—um—sufficient."

Allura's shoulders sank. They'd gone into this thinking they were going to enter some ancient temple full of traps and mysterious monsters. Now they would just have to pass some stupid training exercise? This was a joke.

"If you would just—um-follow me?" The young Terrapin said.

He gestured for the three of them to follow him. Nayni looked to Coran one last time before they followed the Terrapin into the village. They acknowledged each other with a nod. It seemed that his plan might pay off. It might be much simpler then they'd been expecting too. Coran would still fret. It's was the only natural response he could have. Allura and Nayni were heading off into a situation where they could get hurt. And if what Lance had told her was true, Coran was probably worried about the boy too.

* * *

It was the height of summer on Altea. Allura had wanted to go to the beaches just as the 'normal children' did. The Princess had started becoming very conscious of what life was like for the average Altean. It wasn't as though Alfor had kept her locked away, he'd tried to expose her to many different lifeforms and cultures in the universe. But Allura had gotten wise enough to realize that the universe was made up of an incredible amount of just ordinary average people. These outings were stressful no matter how many times they'd made them and Nayni's ever-mounting emotional issues were doing nothing to alleviate that fact. Nayni was confident that she could protect the Princess no matter where they went on Altea but her constant state of fatigue had left her rather irritable.

Allura was nursing the last of her sweet icicle. When she'd been younger she would've smeared the red juices all over her face. The Princess still had stray droplets of juice that had made their way to her dress but that was nothing compared to how she used to be. They walked along the white marble walkway that looked out over the seashore. The aquamarine waves of the Great Easterly Sea where lapping at the yellow sands of the beach. Allura's gaze was glued to the horizon. She watched the tiny, white water skimmers fluttering up into the air and diving back down into the ocean.

Nayni found little joy in this. It was not the norm for her. The Princess had never failed to put a smile on Nayni's face even on her hardest days. Nayni just felt numb. Everything that she'd found some kind of satisfaction in had started to lose its effect on her. There were nights where sleep would never come and then there were days where she could do nothing but lie in bed. When sleep did come it was always torturous. Her dreams about Coran had evolved into something crueler.

She'd dream of them living together. They'd act as if they'd been together for years, cooking meals together and laughing about memories that hadn't actually happened. She'd wake in the middle of the night and be greeted to an empty bed and silence. The more intimate dreams she had in the past seemed so much less frustrating now. It was agony to live in the warmth of that dream life and to be forced to face the bitter reality day in and day out. They could never be.

As much as Nayni had tried to distance herself from him, Coran's grasp on her only grew more intense. Every time she saw him she felt this warmth and light digging deeper into her heart. She lived for the tiniest of acknowledgments. She thrived on the casual interactions they had at work. He seemed to have taken the hint from her previous actions though and had started to pull away as well. He was still so good to her. He was so kind and sweet. She hated it. She feared that he'd move on and would be disgusted that she felt that way.

Coran had every right to move on. She'd put up this barrier. She was the one shutting him out. If someone more beautiful came along, he deserved that. He deserved to have that shot at happiness. Nayni was too afraid to be with him. She was too afraid of all the possibilities that could be but she could not impose these fears on him. The idea of him kissing someone else or holding their hand or caressing their cheek; it made her sick with jealousy.

It was an endless loop of self-flagellation. Everything she'd done was a failure. It was Nayni who had put herself in this position. Coran was just being the gentleman that he'd always been and doing as she wished. She ached for their old talks. She longed to even smell him. If she had been strong enough to free herself from him then she could have her life back. She could completely focus on Allura and she would be perfectly content. No matter where she went or what she did, Nayni was haunted by that devilish grin of his.

Nayni watched Allura slip out of her shoes. The Princess scampered across the soft sands. The other Alteans along the shore would point and gasp with excitement when they saw her splashing in the briny waters. Nayni scooped up Allura's shoes and dusted off the sand. She watched Allura run along the damp sand, her silver hair whipping in the wind. Nayni thought about how calm of a death it would be to walk into those waves in the dark of night and never return. That was not an option. It could never be an option. As awful as it got, she had to be there for Allura. She could never leave that girl behind.

Allura had come running back to her without Nayni even noticing. This bothered the Guard Captain. She needed to be ever vigilant and she'd been letting her thoughts drift off far too much lately. There was no joy in Allura's face. Her little brown lips were drooped into a frown and her eyebrows were furrowed.

"Why have you been so sad, Nanny?" Allura asked.

That question made it feel like her heart was going to burst. Nayni sat down in the yellow sand. She patted the spot next to her but Allura lept in her lap instead. Allura was getting too big for this but Nayni didn't want to stop her. She missed having that little cuddle monster constantly latching on to her leg. It wouldn't be long before Allura would have outgrown this and she knew she'd really miss these days when that came to be.

"You don't need to fret about me, Princess," Nayni cooed. "You should be enjoying your outing."

Nayni wasn't going to impose her problems on this precious child. It wasn't Allura's burden to bear.

"But you seem so sick," Allura pressed. "You're always so tired and sometimes you just stare off into nothingness."

She didn't like to hear about this. She didn't like to think that it was so noticeable. Allura was not going to let this go without some kind of explanation. She was already far too empathetic and wise for a child her age.

"Sometimes we just get sad, Princess," Nayni explained. "It happens to a lot of people for a lot of different reasons."

Allura didn't need to know Nayni's reasons. Nayni dipped her gloved hand into the sand and watched the grains run down between her fingers.

"Father gets sad sometimes," Allura confessed. "He tells me its because he misses my mother."

This was the first time that Allura had ever brought up her mother. Nayni had been bracing herself for this moment as soon as she'd taken on the job. It finally had come after all these years. Allura toyed with the ends of her hair as she spoke.

"He takes me to go pick flowers and he tells me stories about her," Allura said. "It makes him smile and he feels much better."

Nayni knew about these secret outings but it had never been any of her business. If the King dismissed her she did as she was ordered.

"I want you to feel better too, Nanny," Allura said.

A wave crashed into the shore. The green foam crept up along the beach and tickled their toes. Nayni felt her boots get cold and soggy but she didn't really care. Allura wrapped her arms around Nayni's neck and squeezed her tightly. Her silver hair smelt of the sea and fresh flowers. Nayni patted her back gently.

"I love you so much, Nanny, I don't want to see you sad anymore," Allura said.

Nayni had to hold back the tears from spilling out. This girl was the only thing keeping her from the brink. She couldn't keep doing this. She had to be strong for Allura. She couldn't keep letting her love for Coran eat away at her. She couldn't let her fear and despair consume every last bit of strength that she possessed.

"I love you too, Little Lurie," Nayni said.

She planted a little kiss on top of the Princess's head.

* * *

Two Terrapin soldiers were working a control panel at the entrance to the training grounds. The imposing black steel door was a stark contrast to the pink and white cliffs that surrounded them. The facility was massive and dome-shaped. The thick walls were studded with short, fat spikes. It didn't look particularly inviting. The blistering heat from the red Terrapin sun had thick globs sweat running down Nayni's back. She really desperately needed another set of clothes to wear. The trek to the training facility had left the three them coated with a thin layer of pink dust. Nayni imagined Lance and Allura were probably sweltering under all that Paladin armor.

The massive set of doors slid open and then closed abruptly again.

"Don't set it to Level Ten," One of the soldiers snapped. "Our best warriors can't even handle Level Five."

The two soldiers looked over to the trio and then back to the panel.

"We'll do Level Ten," The other soldier replied. "Did you see what Voltron did? They can handle Level Ten."

It seemed that the other Terrapin didn't harbor the same opinion as their Elder did. They typed into their control panel yet again with their long claws. The imposing steel doors slid open. There wasn't much to be seen in the dark chamber that was stretched out beyond them. Cold air spilled out of the open chasm along with swirls of grey mist.

"Retrieve the payload," The Terrapin soldier said.

He gestured rather unenthusiastically toward the dark chasm.

"Uh-what payload?" Lance asked.

The two Terrapin exchanged looks again.

"In there." The soldier said.

He again gestured to the chasm. Well, it appeared that they weren't going to give them much more information to work with. Nayni toyed with the blaster at her hip. Allura led the way into the chamber. Nayni felt a shiver run down her spine once they entered the frigid air. The doors slammed shut behind them. The sound echoed down the long chasm. Dim white lights flickered on. They continued to tick on down the length of the hallway. It looked as if it reached on forever.

The halls seemed to be completely empty. All that they could see were their reflections in the sleek black walls. The only noise they could hear was the sound of their own breathing. Allura clutched onto her blue bayard and took a step forward. As soon as the tip of her boot touched the floor a rain of red laser fire poured down on them. Allura scrambled backward and the lasers ceased firing. Nayni tried to deploy her particle shield. It flickered a few times and nothing happened. She smacked the strap on her wrist and it finally deployed.

"Well, we're off to a good start aren't we?" Nayni sighed.

Lance deployed his shield and charged forward. He was met with even more laser fire then Allura had. It ripped right through his shield and he jumped back to them. The chamber fell silent again. Smoke rose up from the charred marks that the laser fire had left behind.

"Is everyone from Earth that stupid or is it just you?" Nayni snapped.

Lance got back to his feet and redeployed his particle shield.

"Look, Nanny, I know you're not my biggest fan but if we're gonna get through this we've got to work together," Lance said.

He had a point, she couldn't deny that. Allura typed into the console on her wrist and deployed her particle shield.

"Set the shield strength to maximum," Allura said. "And we're just gonna have to make a run for it."

It wasn't exactly a solid plan but it was what they had. Lance typed into the panel on his wrist. Nayni tried fiddling with her's and her shield flickered out again. She was starting to wonder if she would, in fact, die on this little mission. That would be most disappointing especially since she had finally gotten around to bedding Mister Smythe. They tried to position themselves around each other so they could cover themselves from all sides. Their back was still completely exposed.

They charged forward. The red lasers exploded everywhere. They rounds ricocheted off of the walls in every direction. They had to keep running. Nayni could barely keep up with them. Every hit that bounced off of her shield was a gamble. She wasn't sure how long it would hold. They continued to push forward with Allura at the lead.

Allura stumbled as the floor in front of her fell away, leaving nothing but an open pit before them. Allura's chain whip flew out and wrapped around one of the turrets on the ceiling. She swung across the pit and landed gracefully on the other side. Lance leaped across the gap. His legs flailed through the air. He grabbed on to the edge of the floor. He scrambled up the side of the pit. There was no way Nayni was making that jump.

Her particle shield was starting to flicker again. If she didn't at least try to get across she was going to be nothing but a pile of ash on the floor. She made a run for it. Her shield fizzled out just as she made the leap. She was falling too quickly though. She wasn't going to be able to reach the ledge to grab it. Lance held out his hand. She was barely able to grab it.

"I got you, Nanny, don't worry!" Lance assured.

She started to slip out of his grasp. He tried to grab onto her with his other hand. He was still struggling to hold on.

"Nevermind, you're way heavier than I thought," Lance grunted.

He'd just called her fat. It was quite rude of him. Allura wrapped her arms around his waist and tried pulling them both back. Lance looked a little flushed. They pulled Nayni up over the edge. The laser fire had stopped but they knew it couldn't be over yet. Three massive turrets rose from the floor. Their barrels aimed for the three of them. They threw up their shields and crouched to the ground just as the turrets started to unload their cannons.

Every blast from the cannons made them slide back just a little bit. If they didn't push forward soon they would fall down that pit. A blast slammed into the ground next to them and left a pillar of smoke in its wake.

"I don't think we'll be running through this one, Lurie," Nayni said.

Another round slammed into their shields and they slipped back again.

"Maybe I can take 'em out," Lance said. "Shoot 'em in a weak spot."

The heavily armored turrets turned and fired another barrage at them.

"If you're going to try something, I suggest you do it now!" Allura shouted.

The Princess and Nayni propped their shields in front of him. Lance poked the barrel of his rifle out from between them. He kept trying to line up a shot but another barrage slammed into their shields. It pushed them so far back that Lance's foot nearly slipped over the ledge. The turrets began to whir and clank as they reloaded. Lance took his shot. When the round hit its mark the first turret exploded. Lance ducked behind their shields as shrapnel flew everywhere.

The jagged pieces of metal slammed into the other turrets triggering another set of explosions. They watched as the bright flashes bounced down the hallway. The chamber rumbled as the explosions thundered along throughout it. The lights on the ceiling popped and shattered. Glass and debris rained down on them. When the chaos finally ceased they peeked out over the tops of their shields.

Whatever Lance had hit had set off the entire facility. Explosions had ripped through the thick walls. Jagged warped steal ran the full length of the chamber. The walls and floors were smoking and scarred from the destruction. Allura coughed and tried to wave some of the black smoke away from her face. Nayni turned off her shield and looked the Blue Paladin up and down. He just flashed her a wink.

"And that's why I'm the sharpshooter," Lance declared.

He'd made their task significantly easier but she still wanted to punch him in the face. They made their way down the hallway. They jumped over the blown up portions of the floor. Twisted remnants of hidden traps poked out from the now exposed sections of the wall. It was much easier to get down the hallway now that the only thing opposing them were piles of smoldering metal. Lance was right on Allura's heels as they wound their way through the maze of destruction. He'd impressed Nayni today. She didn't like admitting it but it was the truth. It had been a combination of dumb luck and his own skill but Nayni wasn't sure she would've been able to pull that off herself.

They finally reached the end of the hallway. They were met with a set of clear thick glass doors. The room beyond was painted a soft and pleasant blue and had plush green carpet laid out on the floor. Toys were strewn everywhere and a baby Terrapin sat in the middle of it all. It babbled and bounced around. Its shell was still soft and underdeveloped. The glass looked like it had barely been touched. It was charred along the edge of the floor but there wasn't a single crack through it.

"Is that the payload? It's so cute!" Allura cried.

Nayni scowled. She stared at the squirming babe on the floor and wrinkled her nose.

"If it poops on me, we're killing it," Nayni said.

* * *

A grand bonfire was roaring in the center of the Terrapin village. The orange glow illuminated the faces of the Paladins and the villagers. The night sky was draped over the desert landscape like a thick blanket. The air was filled with the scent of the burning wood. The crackling of the fire was drowned out by the sound of the excited chatter among the villagers. Hunk was stuffing his face with some of the local delicacies that had been prepared. Pidge and her brother had run off to examine the structure of a Terrapin soldier's armor, very much so against his will. Lance was chatting up Allura while Shiro sat by the Elder's side. Keith and the Blades were nowhere to be seen.

Nayni stared at the plate of food in her hands. It was filled with strange vegetables that she had never seen before. Some of them resembled the cacti that were scattered about the desert but they'd been stripped of their spines and charred slightly. She lifted up one of the leaves and sniffed it nervously.

"It's really not that bad, you should try it," Coran said.

He sat down next to her. She was covered with dust and soot. Strands of her messy hair were flittering in the breeze. He still looked pristine, like a jewel. He looked very nice by the light of the fire. She'd spent a good deal of time thinking about what she'd do to him in front of a fireplace. This wasn't exactly the prime opportunity for such things though. She rather not have an audience for that.

"Your plan seems to have worked out quite nicely," Nayni said.

She took a bite out of the cactus. The green juice ran down her chin. It was rather regrettable. She wiped it away on her sleeve and looked to him sheepishly. He had been right, it really wasn't that bad.

"It's a shame Keith isn't here for the celebration," Coran said. "He insisted that he remain on the Blades ship and keep an eye out for the Galra fleet. There's never a moment to rest for that one."

Nayni looked to Allura. The Princess seemed quite content to sit with her comrades and share the tales of their glory with the Terrapin Elder. She'd grown into quite the diplomat.

"I used to be that way," Nayni sighed. "But I don't really need to tell you that."

She slipped her hand into his. It was quite a thrill for her. The firelight illuminated the lines of his face and his prominent nose. He'd only grown more distinguished looking as he'd aged.

"You've got to savor moments like these, they don't come very often anymore," Coran said.

She desperately wished she'd given herself the chance to have more of these moments in the past but it was impossible to go back. Nayni wanted to cuddle up next to him in front of the fire but she was still a bit hesitant to do that in front of the Paladins. It was hard to undo the rigid programming that had been instilled in her by the Royal Guard.

"Now that we've got the Terrapin to join the Coalition we should have no issue holding off that Galra Fleet," Nayni said. "Though, Lotor's absence is a bit troubling."

It didn't sit right with her. She took another bite of her cactus, taking care not to make a fool of herself this time.

"Let's refrain from talking business for one night," Coran said.

If they didn't talk business than there was the high probability that he'd get her flustered.

"I've got a rather _burning_ question," Coran said.

He gestured to the fire and winked.

"Get it? Do you get it?" Coran said.

She hated that it made her laugh but she got it. He could be an idiot sometimes but he was her idiot now. She took one last bite of her cactus and chewed it slowly.

"What's _eating_ at you, Mister Smythe?" Nayni teased with a mouthful of mushy cactus.

He threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. She loved watching the way his Adam's apple bobbed as he did that. She set her plate of food aside and scooted a bit closer to him.

"You really wanted to dance with me at that ball didn't you?" Coran asked.

Her comment last night must've really stuck in his head. He was scheming up something. She could tell by the way he was looking at her.

"I did but there isn't much to be done about that now is there?" Nayni said.

He just smirked and twirled the end of his mustache between his fingers. There was definitely more to his question but she wasn't going to press him about it.

"No, no you're right," Coran said. "No point in worrying about it now."

She didn't believe a word coming out of his mouth. He was not the best liar in the world. He draped an arm around her. She was a bit nervous at first but it didn't take her long to relax. She rested her head on his shoulder. They watched the flicker of the flames as they licked at the cold night air. He was worth fighting for. She'd protect this man until her very last breath. Coran radiated more warmth than the bonfire in front of them. He had a habit of stealing away all her fears now. After losing everything they ever knew, they had to hold onto each other. Nayni could've lost him and by some magnificent twist of fate, she'd been delivered right back into his arms.

Nayni caught Allura's gaze from the other side of the fire. The Princes was covering her mouth with her hands, trying to hide the wide grin on her face. Her eyes seemed to glitter in the light of the fire. Coran leaned over and kissed Nayni on the cheek. The bodyguard's ears flushed. It looked as if Allura was holding in a squeal. She grabbed Lance by the arm and shook him as she excitedly started gossipping with him. There was no hiding it now. She was too exhausted to care. Nayni looked up to Coran. There was a twinkle in his eye.

He leaned over and she could feel his breath tickling her neck.

"Shall we retire for the evening?" Coran whispered.

Nayni smiled.

"Most definitely," Nayni said.


	9. I Try

They'd been making love for hours. They were like a bored young couple who could think of nothing to do during a storm except rut. Coran cupped her face in his hands. He left a trail of exquisite kisses along her neck. Nayni grabbed Coran by his red hair and brought his mouth to her's. She could taste the saltiness of their mingled sweat on his lips.

Coran rolled onto his back and she lay her head on his chest. He massaged the back of her neck while she traced her fingers along the patch of red hair on his chest. His pecs rose and fell as he took in desperate hungry breaths.

"How many is that now?" Coran pried.

He already sounded so smug even though he had not yet received an answer. He knew exactly just how many times.

"Th-thirteen times," Nayni stammered.

The last time she'd stayed up all night rutting like this was the night of her wedding to Tomyko.

"That's a new record for me," Coran declared.

He seemed to be very pleased with himself. Her legs were still trembling. He had her so love drunk that she could barely formulate a coherent thought. The air of his quarters was hot and sticky. She wasn't sure if it was just _his_ quarters anymore. She'd only spent one night in the room across the hall. The rest had been with him.

"Congratulations," Nayni slurred.

He grabbed the blue covers and pulled them up over them. Nayni had been so desperate for some rest earlier in the night but now she felt as if she could stay up until the dawn returned. It was probably very close to dawn by now. She kept running her fingers through his damp red hair and picking away the stray strands that were clinging to his forehead.

The thrill of finally being with him was haunted by the loss of Altea. It was just always hanging over them now. It was all such a horrible and crazy twist of fate. She nuzzled her face into his neck. It took losing everything they ever knew for her to finally build up the courage to make this all a reality. He pressed his lips to her neck again. The tip of his nose and his mustache brushed against her olive skin. It sent tingles all the way down her spine.

"Coran, we should actually attempt to get some sleep," Nayni said.

"Whatever you desire, I'll do it," Coran whispered.

He was driving her mad. Nayni had never expected him to be so wild between the sheets. Coran had always gone to such great lengths to maintain proper formalities. To see him so unrestrained was remarkable.

"We should sleep-" Nayni trailed off.

With everything going on they definitely needed to rest in order to be at peak performance but his touch was so tantalizing she could hardly resist him. He pulled her against his hard body. His skin was still damp with sweat.

"Then we sleep," Coran said.

Maybe they wouldn't sleep just yet.

* * *

Light was struggling to break through the thick layer of grey clouds in the sky. Nayni nuzzled her face into the collar of her jacket to fend off the chill. The shrubbery that lined the stone pathways of the Palace courtyard had changed from a vibrant green to a dull grey with the shifting of the seasons. She had been taking some supplements from an Alchemist since her discussion on the beach with Allura that summer. Nayni had been hesitant to take the small green capsules at first. They'd wreaked havoc on her body for a short time. She could barely keep her food down and her moods had grown worse. Once she'd gotten over that hump she felt more stable.

The medicinal herbs hadn't completely freed her of her devotion to Coran. She still thought of him every day but it was much less troubling now. She'd gone from swinging between absolute despair and being numb to functioning fully. The Alchemist that had prescribed her the capsules tried to encourage Nayni to seek out a Spiritualist to fully handle her emotional issues. That had been much, much harder for her to do. Nayni was so used to being tight-lipped about things. Coran had been the only one to ever crack her open. Talking to the Spiritualist was very arduous but the slow process seemed to be helping her.

Things were better. They weren't perfect but they were back in a state that she felt she could handle. What she wasn't sure she could handle was the meeting she was about to have with Mister Smythe. King Alfor had requested that Nayni speak at the annual Veterans' Banquet. It was a request that came out of nowhere. Nayni was not known for her public speaking abilities. She'd tried to convince the King to do it himself but he insisted on her. He firmly believed the troops would want to hear from a former soldier rather than their King. She greatly disagreed with this but she couldn't refuse him.

Nayni knew she couldn't construct a speech by herself let alone give one. The only person she felt like she could turn to for help was Coran. He had a brilliant mind for coming up with inspirational talks and delivered them with such grace. He knew just how to deliver a joke and when it was appropriate to make one. He was the right choice to help her out, it was just going to be the first time the two had been alone in quite some time. She was nervous but the capsules were keeping her from falling into a state of panic.

Nayni pressed a button on the control panel outside of Coran's office. She'd started to become less awkward with their day to day interactions but it was easier for her to keep her cool when Allura was around. Nayni leaned into the intercom and spoke.

"Mister Smythe, are you going to let me in or am I to freeze to death?" She said.

"I'm not sure, what's the password, Madame?" Coran teased.

Nayni sighed and pressed the transmit button again.

"You're an idiot," Nayni said.

She didn't actually think he was an idiot but the banter was helping to ease her nerves. The door to his office slid open and she stepped inside. It was much toastier inside then it was out. It smelled of freshly baked cookies. He'd rearranged some of the furniture. The walls that were once red were now a more conservative shade of blue with a gold trim. His décor wasn't the only thing that had changed. Nayni had yet to see him today so his new hair caught her off guard. Gone was his ponytail and the perfectly styled bangs. His red hair was slicked back and neatly tucked behind his ears. One solitary curl stuck out in the center of his forehead.

Nayni swallowed hard. He looked rather dashing.

"You've changed your hair, Mister Smythe," Nayni stammered.

She didn't want to actually give him a compliment to his face. Coran ran his fingers through his hair. He seemed very pleased that she had noticed.

"Oh, you know I felt it was just time for a change," Coran said.

Nayni was already starting to struggle with maintaining her cool facade.

"Well, I didn't come to discuss your hair," Nayni said briskly.

She would've been fine with discussing it for a varga or two if he wanted. Nayni couldn't possibly carry on a civilized conversation for that long with him. She took a seat in the new sleek blue chair he'd added. It was rather uncomfortable but it certainly looked nice. Coran pulled out his orange datapad. He swept his hand across it and cleared away the clutter of text on the screen.

"Ah yes the Veterans' Banquet," Coran said. "I thought it was a brilliant idea to have you speak."

Nayni leaned back in the chair and the strange slick material squeaked.

"I don't know why. I'm the least charming Altean in the world," Nayni said.

Coran shook his head and that perfectly coiffed curl bounced.

"Nonsense, you're very charming. Anyone would be nervous addressing such a large crowd," Coran said.

If Nayni had not been on the Alchemist's medicine she would've been unable to handle his flattery. She was able to keep back the flush that would've normally come rushing to her cheeks and ears.

"Not you," Nayni said. "I've seen you standing up on stage. You put everyone else to shame with how easily you do that."

Nayni thought his cheeks flushed. She must've been hallucinating. It was physically impossible for her to get Coran flustered, even in the slightest.

"I get nervous every time," Coran said.

This was quite a shock to her. Coran was not the type to get nervous about something like a speech. She actually laughed because she couldn't believe it. The look on his face told her otherwise though.

"You're not kidding," Nayni said.

Coran typed idly into his datapad.

"You can never really know how well something will go over with a crowd," Coran explained. "I spend quite a bit of time agonizing over what to say. You really need to know your audience and I don't always have that luxury. I just take a few deep breaths and put a smile on my face before I go up there."

He made it look significantly easier than the difficult process he was describing. He was much better at masking his feelings than she was.

"That's why Alfor chose you for this. You know this audience better than anyone," Coran said.

It had been deca-phoebs since Nayni had been in the armed forces. Being the Captain of the Royal Guard was a much cushier job. She wasn't sure how a group of hardened soldiers was going to respond to her stout and grumpy visage.

"I don't even know where to begin with any of this," Nayni said. "I barely passed my writing lessons when I was still in schooling."

She'd barely passed most of her academics. That's why she joined up with the Army as soon as she was old enough to. That was back before Coran's underdressed, muscled body graced the cover of the recruiting pamphlets.

"Well, what kind of speech would _you_ appreciate if you were sitting out in that crowd?" Coran asked.

His fingers hovered over the datapad. He was ready to take note of everything she said. Nayni just wasn't sure how to answer that question. She didn't think to even contemplate this.

"I never really cared for the blathering on about sacrifice and duty and honor," Nayni said. "I was just doing my job it was nothing special to me."

Coran typed into his datapad. His fingers danced over the surface so quickly they seemed to blur together. The few times that Nayni and Tomyko had gone to these banquets they'd mostly just whispered to each other and waited impatiently for the eating to start. Nayni had been especially interested in the eating part.

"So we'll keep it brief—" Coran said. "What else?"

He was listening to her so intently. She'd missed this. She missed this quite a bit. He continued to take notes while she talked. Occasionally they would drift off course on a tangent that would end with fits of laughter. The vargas had slipped by more quickly than Nayni had realized. The windows of his office had grown dark with the coming of night. Nayni needed to leave but she didn't want to.

He still made her feel so warm. He still did things to her that she wished desperately were not so. Being in his presence was just so addictive. Keeping her distance had made her forget about that. The medicinal herbs had yet to numb her fears enough to let her feel safe about confessing any of this to him. They continued to talk despite the yawns and the muttering about everything that needed to be done tomorrow. Every time Nayni tried to depart Coran would have something else to ask her or she'd recall some insipid event that she wanted to share with him.

The dark of the night sky shifted to a teal shade with the approaching dawn. Coran laughed and wiped a tear away from his eye as Nayni told him about the latest stunt Allura had pulled. The Princess had coated herself and almost every surface of her room with paint and had offered up no explanation to Nayni as to how it had all happened. Coran looked and sounded exhausted. His voice was hoarse and his eyes were glassy. But the way he was smiling made her heart swell.

"The night's nearly done and I'm afraid we haven't made much progress on your speech," Coran said.

She couldn't give a ruggle about the speech now. Coran typed into his datapad as he spoke.

"I'll send you my atrocious notes but I think you've got this handled, Madame Nordontu," Coran said. "You just need to be more confident."

She probably didn't have it handled but she was touched by his faith in her. Nayni rubbed at her dry eyes and yawned. She'd enjoyed this but she was not looking forward to slogging around on zero vargas of sleep today. She wanted to do this again. She wanted to do it every night of her life. She wasn't ready yet. Allura had barely pulled her back from the brink and Nayni still felt so vulnerable.

"I appreciate the assistance, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

There was quite a bit more that she wanted to thank him for but she never would.

* * *

The muscles of Nayni's legs were sore and throbbed from last night. She could barely walk as she stepped onto the bridge of the Castle. When she'd awoken, Coran had been gone. She barely recalled him planting a kiss on her cheek and tucking her back in before he slipped away. She found him standing behind his control panel as if nothing had changed at all. Her boots squeaked as she crept up behind him. Coran glanced over his shoulder and flashed her a smile.

"You shouldn't have let me sleep so late," Nayni said.

"You needed the rest, Nayni," Coran said.

She took her place next to him and gazed upon the main interface. A map of the Terrapin system was laid out before them. Green blips were steadily streaming from the center of the map.

"The Terrapin have already provided the rebels with some vessels," Coran explained. "I'm afraid Matt's already departed with them."

Nayni had barely even spoken to Pidge's brother. Her gaze drifted away from the display and to Coran's hands typing into the control panel. He still worked at an unbelievable pace.

"No sign of the Galra I take it?" Nayni asked.

She would've been awakened by a rather obnoxious alarm if that had happened.

"Not yet, we're going to patrol the system for a few days to ensure that sector is secured," Coran explained. "The Blade of Marmora have run off to try and track down Lotor as well."

That was probably for the best. With the forces they'd gained from the Terrapin, they'd be able to hold off the Galra fleet if they returned. Nayni was a little glad that Keith had taken his leave, she didn't like having him around and reminding Allura of her heartache. She hadn't spent much time with him but the boy had seemed pretty oblivious to the matter.

"Sounds like we'll be left with a bit of time on our hands," Nayni said.

She hadn't meant anything flirty by that but it got a little wink out of Coran.

"I'll have to get you better acclimated to operating the Castle then," Coran teased.

Nayni was fairly certain he did actually want to train her to use the Castle's defenses but he also seemed interested in having her on top of that control panel again.

"I'd like to make some adjustments to my particle shield," Nayni said. "That one I dug up from the armory isn't exactly- adequate."

"Planning on charging off into battle again?" Coran asked.

He knew very well that she would at some point. She was even more likely to do it if Allura was involved and it seemed that Allura was involved in everything nowadays. And if anyone dared touch a hair on Coran's head she would be planting a blaster round in their face. She still understood why he wasn't a fan of the idea.

"Whatever you desire, I'll do it," Nayni said with a smirk.

His left ear twitched and a light blush broke out on his cheeks. She'd throw herself out of the airlock if it meant keeping him safe. He had to know this by now. He had to know that she would tear the universe apart just to stay with him. Nayni finally had him and she would never let him or Allura be lost to her ever again.

"You should talk to Hunk and Pidge about your shield. They'll have no problem getting that fixed," Coran said.

It was Coran's way of giving her permission to run into the fray again. She had a much harder time parting ways with him now. It would've bothered her terribly in her youth but not anymore. They'd already lost everything and continued to carry on. They'd be able to survive anything that they came across.


	10. Digital Love

_Author's Note: I thought it was finally time for Coran to tell his side of things._

* * *

He watched her pacing back and forth backstage as she rehearsed her speech for the hundredth time. Coran had no idea what the final product even looked like but he didn't think she could screw this up nearly as badly as she believed she would. Just through that set of metallic doors were the stage and a banquet hall full of soldiers. Nayni seemed so wrapped up in her own little ritual that she didn't even notice him enter the room. She looked like some crazy person that was ranting at the potted plants. Nayni's biggest concern had been giving a good speech where she didn't stammer or blank out. The reality of the situation was that most of those soldiers were probably just going to be mesmerized by how the curves of her thick body looked stuffed into that tight uniform. Maybe it would just be Coran who was distracted by that.

Coran had dressed rather conservatively for this evening's festivities. He wanted all eyes to be on her tonight. Nayni finally noticed his presence and froze. Her ears turned red. She slipped back into that rigid posture that she always tried to maintain around him.

"Mister Smythe, did no one teach you how to properly announce yourself as a child?" Nayni seethed.

He knew she wasn't actually that mad. The ease with which the Captain of the Guard got so flustered was one of her most adorable traits. Nayni was all stoic and straight-laced to most of the world but if any slight change happened to her routine she became a mess. This speech was a big change.

"I'm sorry, I just came to give you a little pre-show pep talk," Coran said.

Nayni massaged her forehead.

"I think I might just fake being sick," Nayni said.

He wasn't going to allow her to escape that easily. She was more than capable of handling this. Coran just wished she could see that on her own.

"It's too late for that now," Coran said. "You've just got to go out there, flex those muscles of yours, and dazzle the crowd with your brilliance."

Another minute of rehearsal wasn't going to make her delivery any better. He caught a glimpse of her trembling hands before she stuffed them behind her back.

"I'm not brilliant though," Nayni said. "This is going to be a disaster and I'm going to make a fool of myself in front of the King and the Princess and-"

He knew she was going to say his name. The fact that she was so concerned about his opinion meant quite a bit to him. But he suspected she'd be too afraid to admit this.

"-in front of all those people," Nayni finished. "What have I gotten myself into?"

The dobashes until she had to step out onto that stage were quickly ticking away. He couldn't have her going out there shaking like a child about to be scolded.

"Just imagine everyone is naked!" Coran said.

He was always imagining that she was naked so if she gave it a shot, it would balance things out a bit more.

"When has that ever actually worked?" Nayni asked.

All his classic lines weren't going to work on her. It was quite possibly the most intoxicating trait she possessed. Coran normally would've put his hands on her shoulders and given her a good look in the eye but neither of them could probably handle that.

"Just imagine we're sitting in my office having a chat," Coran said. "Just act like nobody else is there. It's just an ordinary thing that you do every day."

He realized that this might not be the best suggestion. Even he had trouble dealing with her alone in his office. Coran always found himself fantasizing about pushing everything off of his desk and having his way with her on top of it. Nayni must've picked up on his intentions because she always seemed incredibly uncomfortable when they were alone. Her situation was still so delicate. Coran was so used to making the first move with people but he couldn't do it with her. He didn't want to push something on her if she wasn't ready for it.

"Just picture yourself alone in the banquet hall with the biggest idiot you know," Coran said.

That actually made her smile.

"You're not an idiot, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

Every time she complimented him he felt slightly prouder of himself. He'd puff out his chest a bit more and walked with a bit more sway in his step. Coran heard the muffled sound of King Alfor introducing her over the sound system. Nayni's ears drooped a little and she turned a shade paler.

"Just take some deep breaths. It'll be fine," Coran assured.

He really shouldn't have asked the busty Guard Captain to take in those breaths because it made her chest rise and fall in the most tantalizing way. Coran was having trouble keeping his gaze locked on her eyes now. She kept taking in those deep breaths as she stood by the door. Nayni clenched her fists tightly when Alfor finished his introduction. Coran gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up before she walked out on the stage. He lingered in the doorway and looked on.

The blinding white lights engulfed the whole stage. Her march over to the podium was rigid and disciplined. Nayni looked at him nervously before she began speaking. It was impossible for him to whisper an encouragement in her ear but he wanted to. Coran just gave her a nod with a warm smile. Nayni placed her hands on the podium. She was barely tall enough to reach the microphone but to him, she was leagues above anyone else. Except maybe King Alfor but, who didn't want to bed him anyway? He was on equal footing with her in Coran's mind.

"I always found these occasions to be absolutely boring," Nayni began.

Coran had not expected her to start on that note. She drummed her fingers on the podium.

"But the food was good so that made it worth coming to," Nayni said.

That got a laugh from the crowd. She seemed surprised by this. Nayni glanced down at the notes on her datapad and went on. The whole time she was as rigid as a statue but she commanded the attention of the entire room. She completely held his attention too. Coran leaned against the side of the doorway and folded his arms across his chest. Even though he'd helped her come up with some of these jokes he still found himself laughing at them. To him, it was truly as if no one else was in the room. Nayni started to drift away from the material that they'd come up with together. She went on about why she joined the Royal Forces and how it completely changed her view of the universe. But just as Nayni had intended, she kept it short. When she finished, she was met with thunderous applause and joyous hollers from the soldiers. Nayni slipped off stage as quickly as she could.

Nayni let out a massive sigh as soon as she passed through the doorway. He was so proud of her that he wanted to embrace her but Coran knew that wasn't for the best.

"I am never doing that again, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

She didn't seem that terrified when she'd been on stage. They could hear the muffled chatter from the banquet hall and the sound of the music starting to play.

"But you're a natural! We should have you do this every year!" Coran said.

Coran expected Nayni to scowl but she didn't. The edges of her lips curled up in the tiniest of smiles.

"That was mostly due to your assistance," Nayni said. "I was putting on your show out there not mine."

That wasn't entirely true. Coran's hand hovered over her shoulder. He hesitated for an instant but still rested his hand on her. Her muscles were so hard and defined but he had never actually seen what the skin lying beneath her uniform looked like. He patted her gently.

"It was all you, Nayni," Coran said.

Her cheeks flushed and his grin became more devilish. Coran knew how to deal with a lot of different situations. He could operate a Teludav, pilot the Castle, negotiate complicated treaties with alien races, and explain the intricate biology of every known creature in the universe. But he didn't have the slightest clue what to do about Nayni.

They wanted each other. It was clear as day to him but she constantly kept pulling away from him. Nayni had her reasons. He hadn't the slightest clue what they were but he had to respect her boundaries. Coran just wanted to take her by the hand and tell her everything he felt but this didn't seem it would be the right way to go about things. He'd tried all the traditional methods of courtship. He'd brought her that extravagant gift and they'd gotten intoxicated together. He'd thought he'd had her then but she literally slammed a door in his face. Nayni just didn't operate by the same rules that he'd become accustomed to and it drove him mad.

"At least now I can run away back home and hide in a pile of sweets," Nayni sighed.

She had such a difficult time receiving compliments. She just seemed to not know what to say.

"You can't run away just yet, you're expected to go out and mingle," Coran explained. "Everyone will want to talk to you after that phenomenal presentation."

Nayni's face immediately twisted up with a look of pure horror. Her ears twitched as they always did when she was nervous.

"A masochist must've invented all of these societal formalities," Nayni said. "Must I really go back out there?"

"Have no fear, Madame Nordontu, I shall be your escort," Coran said.

He bowed before her, it was much simpler than his usual. He held out a hand to her. This gesture only seemed to fill Nayni with more terror. Her whole face reddened and her eyes darted around the room nervously. She couldn't even look at him.

"I'll be your right-hand man. You know I'm an expert at getting out of awkward conversations," Coran said.

Nayni really had to mull that one over. Coran did genuinely want to be there for her but he had other motivations. He wanted to have Nayni on his arm just to pretend for one night that they belonged to each other.

"I think I could handle a varga of painful social interactions," Nayni said.

"Then just a varga it will be, no more than that. I promise," Coran said.

He held out his arm. She stared at it as if Coran's arm had been replaced with a cybernetic prosthesis. Nayni awkwardly reached for his arm a few times before she finally hooked her arm around his. She was stiff as a board and was taking great effort to have as little physical contact with him as possible. Coran wanted to tell her how much he savored physical contact with her but he knew it would do nothing to ease her nerves.

When they stepped out into the lights of the banquet hall, he felt a swell of pride. Coran wouldn't let reality dampen the mood tonight. He wanted to live in this moment and enjoy every tik of it. She tightened her grip on his arm in the banquet hall. It actually hurt quite a bit but he didn't want any of this to stop. Nayni bumbled up a bit with the first few handshakes and awkward greetings. If the conversation got a bit too tense he would come up with some excuse to steal her away from them. Her vice grip on him loosened slowly over the course of the night.

They came upon an older looking Altean with grey hair and yellow-brown skin. The lines of his face ran deep and he had a faint scar flicking up from the bottom of his chin. Coran recognized him immediately. It was General Fragnar, a well respected military advisor to the Court. He had a significant amount of gold badges plastered across his chest. Coran sensed a familiarity between him and Nayni. The old soldier gave Nayni a salute and a warm smile. Nayni's responding salute was stiff and performed flawlessly.

"Captain Nordontu," The General said. "It's been quite some time."

Nayni relaxed much more around this soldier then she had with the others. Coran could barely feel her thick fingers wrapped around his forearm.

"General Fragnar," Nayni said. "It's good to see you."

The General had a genuinely warm smile on his face. The Altean usually looked so hardened and gruff. He softened around Nayni as if he was addressing a child.

"That was quite the rousing speech," The General said.

Nayni gazed down at her feet and blushed a little. An awkward silence hung in the air. The General examined Coran from head to toe and flashed a smile.

"I see you've found yourself another red-head," The General teased.

Nayni went rigid. She looked to Coran in horror and slipped her arm out of his. She was blushing furiously.

"Oh no no no no, sir," Nayni stammered. "Mister Smythe is just my escort—I mean—we just work together a lot we're not—ya know-"

Coran couldn't hold back his smile. So she had a thing for red-heads? This was a rather pleasant revelation to have tonight. The General just shook his head and smiled.

"That's a shame, Captain, the Royal Advisor would be quite the catch," The General teased.

Nayni's eyes widened. She looked as if she were staring a weblum straight in the mouth. She was too panicked to utter a word. Coran hooked his arm back with her's and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. He couldn't help but sprout that devilish grin. He toyed with the end of his mustache. The whole encounter had left him feeling rather smug.

"We should take our leave, we have to finish making our rounds tonight," Coran said. "It was a pleasure, General."

Coran whisked her away before Nayni fainted from embarrassment. Coran was holding his head up a little higher as he took his strides. Nayni's gaze was glued to the ground. The fact that someone had actually thought they were together was delicious to him.

"I-I'm sorry, Fragnar was my commanding officer in the Army," Nayni stammered. "He was like a father to me. He still takes great joy in teasing me."

Nayni couldn't even look at him as she spoke.

"I'm not saying that it would be a joke to be with you—I mean you're a fine man even though I call you an idiot all the time," Nayni said. "Not that I want to be with you—I don't mean to insult you—I just-oh, ruggle, I'm digging myself quite the hole now."

Coran laughed. There was nothing as incredibly charming as how easily she got flustered. It was cruel of him but he loved seeing her get like this. Coran watched her bark orders at the Guardsmen all day and carry herself with such strength and dignity. So, when she fell apart like this it was absolutely delectable. There was a real woman underneath all that rigid formality. And she was one of the most tender and genuine people he'd ever met.

"It's fine, Madame Nordontu, I understand," Coran assured.

This seemed to do little to ease the Guard Captain's nerves. She'd probably want to scamper off now and he'd be left alone for the night. He'd have to stay until the banquet died down and the soldiers started trickling out of the hall. He'd have to go back home then to his empty bed and his quiet room. Coran would lounge in his favorite worn out, violet, suede chair and stare out the window. He'd look at the stars twinkling in the sky over Altea and sip on his hot cup of spiced tea. That scent of shoe polish that seemed to follow Nayni everywhere would probably still be clinging to his clothing. He'd stroke his mustache and ponder as to how the two of them ended up trapped in this never-ceasing loop of inaction.

* * *

Coran toyed with the end of his mustache as he stared at the main interface on the Castle's bridge. It was really boring. Really, really boring. Nayni had run off to try and track down Hunk and Pidge. His jaw stretched out as he let out a loud yawn. He really should've listened to Nayni last night and tried to sleep but he'd been far too hungry for her. He snickered to himself over that pun. Nayni would've given him the dirtiest look over that one. Having her now felt so surreal. He kept wondering if he'd wake up and realize it was all just some dream he'd cooked up.

When the Paladins had awoken him and Allura, Coran sincerely believed that she was gone. That she had been gone for thousands of years. The new reality of the universe had been so hard to accept but he'd had to. The only reason he got through it was because he and the Princess had to focus so much on training the Paladins and striking back against Zarkon. Well, that wasn't the only reason. His chats with Lance had proved to be quite therapeutic. Those had started off as a way for Coran to comfort the boy but then they became something much more to him. Lance taught him so much about Earth and Coran was able to unload some of his grief too.

It was so much harder for him to look Allura in the eye and tell her these things. They'd talked of Altea too but bringing up all of the people they'd known just seemed too painful for both of them. Nayni especially. He'd been left with a lot of emotional wounds but the loss of the King and the Guard Captain had been the deepest.

But she'd come back to him. Coran thanked King Alfor's spirit every day for it too. He knew it was selfish but after all the sacrifices that had been made over the course of the war, Coran couldn't let things slip away again. That's why he'd let his passion get the best of him and kissed her on the bridge. He was fully prepared for Nayni to punch him in the nose afterward but it had all resulted in something far more pleasant.

Coran heard the doors to the bridge slide open. The Princess stepped in, her silver hair fell loosely about her shoulders. It had been quite some time since he'd seen her that relaxed. He arrival was most fortuitous. It was an old formality that had little relevance now but Coran still felt the need to respect it. Doing everything by the book was still such a deep part of him. It was in his very blood and had been for generations before him. By the look in Allura's indigo eyes, he had a feeling that he didn't really need to explain much to her.

"You have fantastic timing, Princess," Coran said. "I needed to have a chat with you."

Allura crept up to him. She looked very mischievous with that little grin on her face. It was during moments like these that he was reminded that she was still very young.

"Oh really?" Allura said.

She was doing a horrible job of playing innocent.

"Protocol states that I must let my superiors know if I'm engaging in any fraternization with any other members of the Court," Coran said. "And you are my superior."

Allura's smile widened and she leaned in closer. The Princess looked like she was about to burst from excitement. Coran couldn't help but feel rather smug about all of this. He'd been dreaming about having this conversation for many years, though he'd expected to have it with King Alfor, not Allura.

"And who are you fraternizing with?" Allura said.

Her voice was dripping with excitement and anticipation. Coran was so much older than the rest of the Castle's crew that there was really only one possible answer. He knew that the Princess had already put the pieces together before she'd even walked onto the bridge but he was taking great delight in making this announcement.

"Madame Nordontu," Coran said.

Allura squealed as she leaped on him. She wrapped her arms around him. The way she latched onto him reminded Coran of how she used to hug his leg when she was just a little girl. The Princess was bouncing she was so overjoyed.

"This is so overdue!" Allura squealed. "I'm so happy, Coran! You two have always been family to me and to finally see you happy means so much to me."

It was horrendously overdue. Coran gave her a gentle pat on the back. He held the Princess in his arms. She would always be the daughter that he'd never had. Her approval meant everything to him. Allura pulled away and put up a big show trying to act regal and formal. She still couldn't wipe the smile off of her face though.

"I'll take note of this in my logs," Allura said. "And I expect you two to not let this affect your duties."

Allura spoke with an overly authoritative attitude. Coran couldn't hide his satisfaction. It had already affected his duties a little bit. He was operating on no sleep after all. But he'd waited so long for this he didn't really care.

"Where is Nanny?" Allura asked.

"She's probably down on the engineering level with Hunk and Pidge," Coran said.

That was a conversation he would like to sit in on. Nayni hadn't really been alone with either of them since Hunk walked in on them. She was probably struggling not to faint. Allura placed her hand on his back. Her demeanor was much more gentle now.

"Why don't you get some rest? You look exhausted and it's my turn to monitor the bridge anyway," Allura said.

Coran wasn't really interested in getting rest. He was still riding high on the rush of last night. He'd go check in on Nayni. It was quite likely that she'd be in need of rescuing and that had always been his job. It was nice to have that duty again.

* * *

Coran arrived on the engineering level. Pidge was fiddling with Nayni's shield generator, a cornucopia of shiny tools was scattered all around the Green Paladin. Pidge could work wonders with anything but she was never very organized when it came to her belongings. Hunk was making some adjustments to the strap. The Yellow Paladin and Nayni had something in common. They were both heavily built though she was in a shorter package. Nayni was barely taller than Pidge. She must've felt some joy over finally having someone around that was shorter than her. Nayni already looked rather vexed. She glared at Coran as soon as he walked towards them.

"Why did you fail to tell me about Earth marriage practices?" Nayni snapped.

It was only relevant because of what had happened in the lounge. Nayni had already been so horrified by that incident that Coran hadn't wanted to make it worse. So he'd kept that little secret to himself. Apparently, humans would kneel before their partners when they'd ask to enter into a marriage pact. That had probably been why Hunk was so alarmed to see Coran kneeling before Nayni. Hunk's eyes darted between the two of them nervously.

"Hey, I didn't mean to start a fight. I was just wondering if I needed to by you guys a toaster or something," Hunk said.

Coran vaguely knew what a toaster was. Lance said when humans got married they tended to be given quite a bit of kitchen appliances. Nayni was just completely lost again. Her thick brows were furrowed and her lips were pursed.

"Is that some kind of Earth firearm? Do you exchange armaments for your weddings?" Nayni asked.

She genuinely meant that inquiry. Coran and the Paladins snickered. Pidge finished fiddling with the shield generator and passed it back to Hunk. The Yellow Paladin looked it over and attached it back to the wrist strap. He engaged the shield and the blue particle barrier spread out on the work table. It was much wider than the other models. Hunk poked at the barrier with a probe and the shield's surface flickered with blue sparks. It didn't look exactly like the shields that the Guardsmen used to carry around but it was pretty close.

"And whats this groveling business? Why would you beg for your partner to marry you when you're supposed to be equals?" Nayni pressed.

Pidge had started to put back together the disassembled parts of Nayni's blaster.

"Well, how do Alteans propose to each other?" Pidge asked.

The only human Paladin on the Castle that knew the answer was Lance but Coran kept that to himself.

"We stand on equal footing, look each other in the eye and ask," Nayni said.

Hunk smirked.

"So, Coran would have to kneel to look you in the eye," Hunk teased.

Nayni's face went red. Coran wasn't sure if it was out of anger or embarrassment. She leaned forward and gave Hunk a swat on the head. Coran and Pidge erupted into a fit of laughter. Hunk didn't find this nearly as amusing, He rubbed the back of his head as he pouted.

"Mister Smythe did not propose to me," Nayni said.

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. Her large bosom made this rather difficult but Coran loved to watch her struggle to do so. Pidge and Hunk looked to Coran and a grin crept across both of their faces.

" _Mister Smythe_?" Pidge giggled.

Coran twirled the edge of his mustache. He still loved when she called him that but it was for much more devious reasons now. She let that title out in a few desperate moans last night. It had been out of blind reflex but he very much liked how it sounded when it rolled off of her tongue.

"It's just a very old title," Coran explained. "Old habits die hard, as they say."

Their oldest habits had died though. The constant avoidance of their unresolved tension and the sleepless nights spent pining for each other were done and gone. That was the only thing that had really needed to change though. He was happy to have Nayni just the way she was. Coran was happy to have her in several different positions too.

Pidge finished assembling Nayni's blaster. It looked much sleeker now and its components were glowing as they should've been. Hunk handed Nayni the shield generator and Pidge tossed her the blaster. Nayni failed to catch it and the gun clattered to the floor. The Altean's face flushed as she scooped it off of the metallic floor.

"They should be all good now," Hunk said. "But try them out in with the combat simulator and come tell us how they work out."

Nayni looked at Coran rather sheepishly. She probably had no idea how to get to the simulation chamber. She could've told him the layout of the old Royal Palace in great detail but she'd been to the Castle so few times that she had no idea where to go.

"I can show you where it is," Coran said gently.

Coran led her towards the elevator and he rested his hand in the small of her back. Her ears still flushed when he touched her. Coran knew one day that would have to stop but he never really wanted it to. He took great pleasure in having this power over her. Nayni could probably snap his neck if she wanted to so he had to take the satisfaction in the small advantages like this. Getting her flustered was what he was best at anyway.

"Goodbye, Mister Smythe!" Hunk and Pidge teased in unison.

They giggled amongst themselves. Nayni turned on her heel. Her face was red and her eyes were wide with anger.

"Watch it or I'll end you both, you insufferable children!" Nayni snapped.

Her threat only made them laugh with more enthusiasm.

"You can't murder the Paladins, Nayni, we've already gone to a lot of trouble finding pilots for the Lions. No one wants to go through that hassle again," Coran said.

She glared at him like she was going to kill him too. Coran gave her a wink and she recoiled a bit shamefaced. He loved how much more openly she reacted to his games now. She used to fight against it so adamantly. But he could always see through the walls she put up. And it had always been him alone that had that effect on her. He hadn't been around to see what things had been like with Tomyko but from what Nayni had told him it was a very similar situation.

Coran escorted her to the elevator. By the time they reached the doors, she seemed to have calmed down. She was so quick to anger over the silliest things but when Allura had been a child Nayni would literally allow the Princess to tear her hair out and she would just sit there patiently. No one else was ever allowed that privilege though. Nayni's devotion to Allura ran deep and that unwavering commitment was part of why he loved her so.


	11. Somebody Told Me

The training simulator was already occupied when Nayni arrived. She felt more relieved than annoyed by it. She needed a bit of time to put herself back together after her little tryst in the elevator with Mister Smythe. Shiro was sparring with one of the combat drones. The Black Paladin moved around the drone as if in a dance. The massive chamber echoed with the sounds of his grunts and footfalls. Every attack the drone went for, Shiro dodged with ease. His cybernetic arm glowed with a violet aura as he sliced through the drone. With one final jab of his arm, the drone flickered back out of existence. After a fight like that Nayni would've been drenched in sweat and desperately trying to catch her breath. Shiro looked as if he'd barely lifted a finger.

"You made that look terribly easy, Shiro," Nayni said.

The white tuft of hair on his head rustled as he turned to see her. She startled him a bit. He was a rather strapping young man but there was a lot of pain behind those eyes. The air about him just felt like he was so much older than he actually was. Nayni could say that about most of the Paladins now. He walked along the white floor over to the sidelines where she stood.

"I didn't have the difficulty set as high as it should be, Nan-" Shiro began.

He awkwardly cut off his sentence. He must've remembered how she'd berated Lance for calling her that. She'd given up on beating that habit out of the Blue Paladin now. It seems they'd all picked up on it rather quickly.

"I was just here to test out the modifications Hunk and Pidge made to my shield," Nayni said.

Now she was the one salvaging an awkward encounter. Things had changed quite a bit as of late. Shiro was running his hand along the joints of his cybernetic fingers. She didn't envy him for having to see that reminder, every single day, of the torture he suffered at the hands of the Galra. Nothing was more awful than having the pain of your past shoved right in your face.

"Oh- well, I can leave if you want," Shiro said.

They were very stiff around each other. She knew he was a military man like her. It didn't matter what alien species someone was, military people tended to carry themselves in the same way.

"I much rather have a sparring partner made of flesh and blood, to be honest," Nayni said. "Drones are all well and good but they don't teach you much about how someone will actually act during close combat. They don't make the same mistakes or engage in the same risky tactics as an actual person would."

It'd also been a very long time since Nayni had faced off against anyone. And from the looks of things, Shiro would've been more of a skill test than any of the simulations she could go up against. She was curious to see how her new shield would hold up against that arm of his too.

"I guess that would be a nice change of pace," Shiro admitted.

He'd probably had his fill of fighting actual people but she appreciated that he was going to indulge her. They stepped out onto the floor. She was flooded with memories of her Guardsmen training and she felt a twinge of sadness. All of those people were gone. Nayni deployed the new shield. Hunk and Pidge had done a fine job of getting it close to her description. The blue barrier was as tall and wide as Nayni was. It wasn't exactly the same shape as her old one but it would suffice. Shiro seemed a tad hesitant to start.

"Don't hold back now. I may be an old lady but I can take it," Nayni said.

Shiro powered up his arm. It glowed with violet light again. The Black Paladin still seemed to be hesitating. He swung his cybernetic arm through the air. Nayni slid to the side as his arm collided with her shield. Blue sparks flew into the air. He'd hit her much harder than she'd expected and by the way he was cringing she could tell that he hadn't intended to do that.

"C'mon, Shiro, I know you've got more in you then that," Nayni teased.

"Are you sure?" Shiro asked.

The man was legitimately concerned. He was a sweetling and it was a tad surprising.

"I've been shot, stabbed, punched, and kicked by aliens that were twice your size and I'm still standing," Nayni assured.

She left out the part about how she'd taken those savage beatings when she was much younger but she didn't want him having another reason to hold back. Shiro shook his head and got back into his fighting stance. Nayni braced herself again. He went for her again. Dodging his attacks was proving to be most difficult. He was much more agile than she was. She would see that violet streak gleaming through the air and could barely get her shield up by the time he slammed into it. Violet and blue sparks erupted with every impact she took. The more they sparred, the more he seemed to let go.

Shiro danced around her, trying to get around her shield to a weak spot. He fought with such control and discipline that she knew he wouldn't actually hurt her. He was already starting to wear her down though. Sweat was rolling down her face in thick globs and her legs were shaking. Maybe sparring after the events of the previous night wasn't the best idea. Shiro came at her with a vigorous swing. The strike was so fast that Nayni knew she wasn't going to get her shield up in time. She swiveled to the left and twisted her body around. The pain in her side was instant.

Nayni sucked in a gasp and her eyes went wide. The old wound felt like it'd just been torn right open again. The muscles along her side were in agony. Nayni fell to her knees and clutched at her side and gritted her teeth. Shiro was instantly overcome with guilt. He rushed to Nayni's side and tried to help her up. The idea of moving was not very appealing to Nayni at the moment. She tried to smile at him to ease his nerves.

"It's fine. I'm fine," Nayni said.

Her voice wavered. Just talking made her side hurt more. The muscles on her side had always been a bit weaker since she'd received that injury. This had happened a few times before if she'd bent the wrong way or turned too quickly. Maybe she wasn't cut out to fight like this anymore.

"I'm so sorry. What do you need me to do?" Shiro asked.

Nayni had tested her shield but she'd also managed to terrify the Black Paladin. She'd accomplished quite a bit in one day. Her legs wobbled a bit as he helped her up. She had to lean on Shiro quite a bit more than she wanted to. She was sweating even more furiously now that this unbearable pain was back. She'd pushed herself too hard but she didn't want to admit that to Shiro. She may have pushed herself too much last night as well and she was definitely not discussing _that_ with the Black Paladin.

"It's not your fault," Nayni said. "It's just an old injury acting up."

Shiro helped her lean against the wall. The cool surface of the metal felt wonderful against her skin. Nayni half expected to feel blood beneath her hands but there was nothing. Every time this happened she felt some deep instinct that she was dying again. There was never any blood though. There was never that gaping wound reappearing spontaneously. It was just some very sprained and very angry muscles.

"See what you have to look forward to?" Nayni teased.

Shiro laughed half-heartedly. She could really see how he ended up as the Black Paladin now. He was very concerned about others. He kept hovering around her, waiting for her to slip and fall again so he could rescue her.

"I should help you get back to your quarters," Shiro said. "You need to lay down."

Nayni smiled sheepishly. This was going to be awkward.

"My quarters are—um-Coran's quarters now," Nayni said.

And Coran was going to be rather upset to see what she'd done to herself. Shiro handled this news with much more awkwardness than she'd expected. He was the oldest Paladin, after all, she'd expected him to be a bit more mature about it. He didn't seem to know what to say. He just bit down on his bottom lip and looked away from her.

"I can just get there myself," Nayni said.

She probably would be sliding herself along the wall the whole time and trying not to scream but she was willing to do it to avoid this awkwardness.

"Let me help you," Shiro insisted.

He smiled warmly in an attempt to push past the tension in the air now.

"If I didn't, I'd have to deal with Allura _and_ Coran trying to kill me," Shiro said.

Nayni chuckled. That brought on a new wave of pain and she clutched her side again. They were probably going to be more cross with her than they would be with him.

"Just let me sit for a bit," Nayni said.

Shiro sat down next to her. This was quite embarrassing but there wasn't really anyway to get around it. Nayni rested her head against the wall. She winced every time she took in a breath. She tried to keep her posture as rigid as possible. That seemed to help minimize the agony that she was experiencing. Her clothes were soaked with sweat and she started to feel a chill as it dried on her skin. Nayni had been so incredibly stupid today that she wanted to punch herself in the face.

"I suppose I will be staying back on the Castle with Coran," Nayni said. "I might be too old for this but I suppose I can still nanny you all."

That would be something that the Royal Advisor would be happy about. Shiro chuckled.

"I thought you weren't a nanny though," Shiro said.

Nayni rubbed her side but it didn't seem to help relax her muscles. She wouldn't talk to any of the other Paladins about this. They were all far too sassy but Shiro was practical and he didn't seem the type to openly mock her.

"I did quite a bit of babysitting," Nayni said. "It wasn't exactly in my job description but I wiped up plenty of sick and played plenty of stupid games. Allura was rather wild and adventurous when she was a babe."

Nayni still missed those days. They'd been filled with laughter and warmth during the time she'd needed it most. Shiro found this fairly amusing.

"I can totally see that," Shiro said.

Allura had gone through quite the transformation but she still had that spirit of adventure in her. She still possessed that fearlessness.

"And Coran has always well-been Coran," Nayni said.

He hadn't changed much. Coran had gotten a few more wrinkles on his face but he was still the same man down to his very bones. He was still brilliant and loyal and beautiful. The muscles in her side still throbbed but they were starting to get to a bearable state. She was still afraid to move. She must've been smiling like an idiot because Shiro was chuckling to himself.

"Well the way he was acting during the Ark mission makes a helluva lot more sense now," Shiro said.

Nayni's chuckle turned into a gasp of pain and she clutched her side again. She'd been in denial for so long that looking back on all the little things made her so angry. It shouldn't have taken the world ending for them to get to this point.

"I mean he's been tense during missions before but he seemed genuinely afraid," Shiro went on. "I just assumed it was because there was a chance to find any Alteans. But-"

Shiro just smirked. At least he wasn't snickering and gossiping like a child over it. She expected some level of awkwardness. She was always terribly awkward but this was a nice changed of pace.

"We've all got something we're fighting for," Nayni said. "You've still got an entire homeworld to protect."

Shiro nodded. He must've been under an immense pressure since this all started for the humans. Their Earth had yet to see the true might of the Galra empire. They had to do everything in their power to stop it.

"It's more than just that now. After everything we've seen and everything we've been through it can't just be about us," Shiro explained.

He was truly that selfless. Nayni could feel that about him. If she'd been that selfless she wouldn't have made nearly as many mistakes as she had with Coran. She admired him for it. Shiro was so wrapped up in doing his duty. He was so consumed by the need to to do what had to be done. It only made it that much more clear to her why he was the pilot of the Black Lion.

"It's all right to make it about yourself every now and then," Nayni said. "If you don't take care of yourself it's going to be a lot harder to save the universe."

She realized how incredibly hypocritical it was for those words to come out of her mouth. Here she was sitting on the ground because she pulled a muscle.

"I'll try and keep that in mind," Shiro said.

He probably would think about her advice but there was a good chance he wasn't actually going to heed it. People like Shiro had a very hard time thinking about themselves. Nayni felt as if she was ready to make the trek back to their warm bed but the Castle's intercom crackled to life. Was this it? Was this the return of the Galra fleet? The timing would've been rather bad then for Nayni to injure herself. Allura's voice came over the speakers. There wasn't an ounce of fear or alarm in her tone.

"I need everyone on the bridge as soon as possible," Allura announced. "We've got an incoming transmission from Keith."

* * *

Allura had been hunched over her desk and studying for hours. The farther she'd gotten along in her schooling, the less Nayni had been able to help her. They'd made quite a few spontaneous visits to her various tutors. But Allura seemed most comfortable with turning to Nayni or Coran. She was having to escort the Princess to Coran's office more and more though. Allura was just as tall as Nayni now. The bodyguard could probably still scoop her up with ease though. Allura let out a sigh of frustration and pushed aside some of the datapads sprawled out across her desk.

The Princess's room had changed quite a bit since Nayni had started this job. Gone were the piles of stuffies and lavender decorations. The Princess had become fixated on the color pink as she was creeping into her adolescence. It was a bit morbid but every teenager went through that phase at some point on Altea. She'd even gone to the lengths of dying pink streaks in her hair. Allura still had some of the same interests. She lived to go on outings with her father especially now that she could actually discuss Alchemy on a more equal footing. She'd also gotten quite a bit sassier. This could be quite taxing at times but Nayni also had a deep appreciation for a mouthy girl who spoke her mind.

Nayni eyed the gaming table near the doors to Allura's balcony. It was loaded with every conceivable game that any Altean could want to play but Nayni had been wondering about one in particular lately. She'd had literal interest in those tabletop adventures even when she was young. She much preferred running amok and getting into trouble. Sitting around a table and moving around holographic play pieces seemed incredibly boring.

Coran had taken up the habit of playing the classic strategy game muril. It was old and dreadfully dull. Nayni had seen elderly male Alteans playing and bragging about it since childhood. She was starting to get interested in it now. Her only reason was to potentially spend more time with Coran. It was infuriatingly stupid. As much as she'd seen people play muril, she still didn't have the slightest clue as to how to go about it herself. It all just seemed like over complicated drivel.

Allura growled and tossed another datapad across her desk. The Princess buried her face in her hands and groaned with frustration. The calculations she'd been working on were completely beyond Nayni so she wasn't going to be of much help.

"Take a break, Lurie," Nayni said. "When you come back, you'll be refreshed and get it all sorted out."

Allura just sighed and pushed herself away from her desk. She was starting to only acknowledge Nayni with grunts and angsty sighs. Even though Nayni had been through that phase of her life she still found it a bit irritating. Though being a Princess during this time was probably a lot more difficult than anything Nayni had been through.

"I'm never going to figure this out," Allura said. "What's the point anyway?"

Nayni wasn't sure that knowing all those complicated algorithms actually had a point but it was definitely something a Princess would need to know.

"You'll get it. Just don't fret about it now. Relax," Nayni said.

Allura opened up the doors to her balcony. The breeze rustled her ponytail and made her curtains flutter. Allura looked out over her view of the sparkling capital. She leaned on the ornate white stone railing, resting her chin in her hands. Nayni leaned on the railing next to her. Nayni didn't really like to look out on all the plush trees and glittering rooftops. It was a beautiful view that always filled her with stupid romantic ideas.

"Shall we go off and get a sweet icicle?" Nayni proposed.

Allura just sighed again and rolled her eyes.

"We do that all the time, I'm tired of it," Allura said.

Just because they did that all the time didn't mean it was dreadful. Prepubescent girls were so taxing. Nayni glance over her shoulder at the gaming table.

"Could I convince you to teach me how to play muril instead?" Nayni asked sheepishly.

Allura leaned against the railing and smiled rather mischievously. Nayni realized that this request might've been a mistake.

"Why's that?" Allura pried.

She had a twinkle in her eye. Nayni stiffened.

"It'd be something to do, that's why," Nayni said.

She was not going to have this discussion with Allura. The Princess had been particularly suspicious of Nayni lately. Allura questioned everything Nayni did and always seemed to try and read between the lines. It was a problem because the Princess was very gifted at picking up on the subtleties of people's interactions. Her intelligence was most problematic.

"Is that really all?" Allura asked.

The Princess raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Because father and Coran play that quite a bit," Allura said.

She seemed incredibly satisfied with herself. Nayni rubbed her temples.

"Are we going to play or not?" Nayni pressed.

She wasn't going to stand around and be teased by a child for wanting to play a stupid quiznacking game that the mustached Royal Advisor enjoyed. Allura had a little bounce in her step as she headed over to the gaming table. It was always easy to hold Allura's interest if there was romantic gossip involved. Nayni hadn't exactly been graceful about dodging the subject of Coran. She was never really graceful during any topic of conversation though.

Nayni pulled up a chair to the gaming table as Allura typed into the console. The whole time the Princess had the smuggest grin on her face. The familiar holographic pieces filled the board on the table. Nayni had seen them before but she had no idea what they were called or how they functioned. The blue pieces fizzed slightly on the board projection. Allura leaned over the table, her ponytail fell over her shoulder and brushed along the table's surface.

"These five pieces are the ones you want to protect," Allura explained. "You pick one that is supposed to be your Monarch but don't tell me which one. We each have to figure out which one has been chosen. Whoever takes out the opponent's Monarch first, wins."

Nayni just stared at the pieces as Allura went on and gestured with her slender brown fingers.

"Its really about knowing your opponent. You need to know how they think and figure out how to counter them before they've even moved a piece," Allura said.

Nayni did that for a living and people had made a game of it? A very old game too. She leaned back in her chair as Allura continued to explain. Nayni kept getting lost. All these pieces had different rules for how they moved around the board and it was hard to follow. Allura was the first to go. Nayni hadn't even really decided which of the taller pieces was supposed to be her Monarch yet. Nayni just moved one of the pieces that she happened to remember the rules for. She wasn't terribly certain if she'd just made a wise decision or not. Nayni wasn't even entirely sure she'd come up with a proper strategy either.

They kept taking their turns. The whole time Allura had a rather cheeky look on her face. Nayni was bracing herself for more prying. The girl was bent on getting Nayni to crack.

"I thought you found this sort of thing to be dull," Allura said.

She toyed with one of her pieces before she moved it and took out one of Nayni's. The piece fizzed and twitched before it blanked out on the board.

"Well it's always good to try new things," Nayni said.

She always tried to counter Allura's prying with some jargon life lesson that had been told to her over and over. Allura rolled her eyes.

"I didn't take up the Farusian flute just to try new things," Allura said. "Lord Donnic's son was fond of it."

Lord Donnic's son had also been a complete idiot that broke Allura's little heart. It had been a shallow wound that healed quickly but Nayni still wanted to throttle the broody little bunghopper for it. It had been very therapeutic for Allura when she snapped that flute in half and tossed it off of her balcony.

"Learning to play muril isn't exactly the best way to impress someone. Everyone else knows how to play it so I figured I should too," Nayni said.

It was partially true but it was mostly just garbage she was spewing. The idea of playing this in front of a crackling fireplace with Coran late at night made Nayni's heart flutter and her ears flush. She wanted to spend time with him. She held onto those stupid little moments but she was just too paralyzed to do anything to make them anything more. Nayni moved one of her pieces and Allura knocked it off the board again rather quickly. This wasn't going particularly well.

"Maybe we should go dress shopping. I think a nice violet would suit you. You could show up to his office and maybe play a few rounds with him," Allura teased.

Nayni's face reddened and she scowled. Allura just fluttered her eyes innocently.

"Why are you so obsessed with this idea that I want to court Mister Smythe?" Nayni said.

She just shoved a random piece forward on the board. It seemed like an important looking one so it was probably a stupid move. Nayni didn't really care at this point anymore.

"Because when he's not looking, you swoon and stare at him like he's made of ungleberry tarts," Allura teased.

Nayni's nostrils flared. She was not a swooner. She did not swoon and flit about like some insipid little lovesick fool. Maybe a little. Or a lot. Especially when she was watching teledramas and stuffing her face with sweets.

"I'm not swooning. I'm just trying to hold back my vomit because he's so irritating," Nayni lied.

Allura wasn't buying it at all. In one move Allura knocked out three more of Nayni's pieces. Losing the game was not helping Nayni's mood.

"So you're holding back vomit when he compliments the way you look some days?" Allura said. "And when we have lunch with him in the courtyard and he sits next to you?"

Nayni just sat with her arms folded and fuming. She was not going to have the Princess go on teasing her like this. Yes, the girl was seeing right through her but she would have none of that. She was mostly so furious because if this was that obvious to a child then it must be incredibly obvious to Mister Smythe. Nayni rather liked to think that he was clueless on the matter. Allura made another elaborate move with one of her pieces and knocked out Nayni's Monarch. Digital confetti exploded in the middle of the board and the blue hologram flickered off.

"It's all right that you're terrible. He'll probably just let you win anyway," Allura said.

Allura slinked back to her desk. Their little torture session seemed to have really rejuvenated Allura.

"Why would he let me win?" Nayni asked.

She actually wanted to know. Allura flopped back into her chair and flashed Nayni a smile.

"Why don't you play a match with him and find out?" Allura suggested.

Nayni chewed on her bottom lip. Now Allura was the one evading questions. She'd become such a maddening girl. But the Princess was right, Nayni was curious as to whether or not Coran would let her win a game of muril.

* * *

Nayni and Shiro were the last to stumble onto the bridge. Her side was still so tender that she'd been nursing it all the way from the simulation room. Coran looked exhausted. He must've barely gotten a varga of rest after he'd gotten back to their quarters. They'd already gathered around the main interface. It was filled with a grainy and static-ridden video feed. The video panned over a decimated Galra fleet. Twisted hunks of charred metal were floating around amidst a sea of broken fighter parts. The Castle's crew was silent as they stared at it. Nayni hadn't seen such destruction since the very start of the war. It seemed as if Keith had already been briefing them before Nayni and Shiro had arrived.

The video stream looped over again and again as Keith spoke through the transmitter.

"We found the rest of the fleet but Lotor is nowhere to be seen," Keith explained.

Nayni felt a chill run down her spine. It was a formidable fighting force that they were looking at and it had completely been torn to shreds.

"Lotor's ship is pretty powerful but, there's no way he did this all on his own," Keith said.

Pidge pushed her glasses farther up the bridge of her nose she opened her mouth to speak but just closed it again. She seemed just as troubled as the rest of them.

"That's not the weirdest part," Keith went on.

A chart appeared on the screen. It was a graph with jagged lines flickering up almost to the top of the frame.

"The quintessence readings here are insane. We haven't seen anything like this since we found that comet," Keith said.

Nayni had heard that another transreality comet had been discovered and that Lotor had gotten his hands on some of it. Why hadn't he contacted them? He'd wanted to know immediately what they'd found on the Ark so it was safe to assume the same after they'd taken Terrapin based on his suggestion.

"Well, at least the fleets been taken care of," Shiro said.

That was some piece of good news to receive.

"We're going to try and track down the source of this quintessence," Keith said. "None of this seems right at all. We need to figure out what happened here. And we can look into this without attracting nearly as much attention as you guys would."

Coran leaned on the control panel in front him.

"You need to be careful, Keith, there's a good chance Zarkon's going to come sniffing around too," Coran said.

His voice was hoarse from exhaustion.

"And we're just supposed to sit around here and wait?" Hunk said. "Did you guys seriously not just watch the same spooky footage?"

"We really don't need to draw any more attention to that sector than there already is," Shiro said. "The Blade of Marmora can figure this out and keep things under the radar."

Nayni didn't care much for this either but it was definitely a job that would require some stealthy tactics. If Lotor wasn't the one who destroyed that fleet, something else did and they didn't want that to come crashing down on their heads.

"I'll let you guys know as soon as we find something," Keith assured.

None of the Paladins were at ease. Coran just seemed far too exhausted to show any kind of reaction. Nayni was still tenderly clutching her side.

"We need to regroup and figure out what our next move is while the Blade of Marmora investigates this," Allura said.

There was never to be a moment of respite anymore. There was always something that was going to be happening. There was nothing else to be expected during times of war though.

Nayni glanced at Shiro nervously before she hobbled over to Coran. She was not looking forward to telling her lover that she'd been an idiot and hurt herself on top of all this other strange news. Coran and Pidge were already pouring over the information that Keith had just sent over. She had made the mistake of pushing herself too hard today, she would not allow Coran to do it too.

Nayni limped up to him. Her side was already feeling a bit better but not quite back to normal. She brushed her fingers along his shoulder and rested her hand gingerly on his back. Coran had dark circles under his eyes and seemed to be struggling to hold onto consciousness. He still managed to greet her with a genuine smile. The other Paladins were still chattering away about the video footage they'd just witnessed. Nayni suspected this would be going on for quite some time before it'd stop.

"I think Pidge can handle this on her own," Nayni said. "You need to get some rest, Coran."

The Green Paladin was still typing into the console and sifting through all the data. Coran hadn't exactly been keeping up with her very well.

"You do look like a zombie, Coran. I've got this. Go get some sleep," Pidge said.

Nayni didn't know what a 'zombie' was. She'd been able to piece together what some of the humans' strange vocabulary was but this one was completely lost to her. Nayni tugged him away for good measure. It was her fault that he was so exhausted to begin with. It was now her duty to try and remedy that.

"All right," Coran sighed. "We'll touch base later, Number Five."

He was dragging his feet as they left the bridge. Nayni was bracing herself for Coran to notice that she was favoring one side of her body again. It didn't take him long to pick up on it. They were barely out of the doors and into the hallway before he did a double take and looked her up and down. He looped his arm through her's to help support her weight.

"What happened?" Coran asked.

She wasn't looking forward to telling him. It was terribly embarrassing for her. She wasn't the Altean she used to be. She'd done a lot of fighting in her time but she was seriously starting to contemplate if those days were going to be over for her.

"I was a little too enthusiastic in the training room and my old wound decided to act up," Nayni said.

She expected him to scold her but he just chuckled under his breath. She welcomed the relief that reaction brought. She hadn't want to have a squabble over something so stupid.

"I'm not sure it was entirely due to your combat training," Coran teased.

Even though she was in pain, her ears flushed. He was exhausted and she was hobbling around with a pulled muscle yet, Coran still felt the need to get her flustered. She adored it though. No matter how frustrated he got her, she would always love every minute of it.


	12. We Belong Together

The 'Space Mall' was nothing at all what Nayni had imagined it to be. There was no conceivable reality where this place could have ever been an Unilu Swap Market. Everything was far too pristine and organized. There were just rows and rows of shops in every direction. The polished white floors reflected the colorful signs from every shop. Motorized walkways and lifts were scattered around in such an intricate manner that Nayni wasn't exactly sure where they actually went to. Aliens of every color and origin were shuffling around and chattering in languages she wasn't even familiar with. If she was totally honest she didn't even recognize all of the species that were marching around. The soft music that was playing over the sound system did nothing to relax her.

Coran had insisted that they take the time to stop and resupply. There was apparently no point in just sitting on their duffs while they waited for the Blade of Marmora to investigate those odd quintessence levels. The sight before her seemed far more terrifying than that mystery. Coran had warned her but his words really hadn't prepared her for this. He had been right about one thing though, seeing all of this made her feel very old. Hunk and Lance just looked absolutely bored. To them, it wasn't really a big deal. This was the most absurd thing she had seen since they'd awoken her from the sleep chamber.

She looked to Coran for some kind of explanation. How could a race of smugglers and pirates transform into this? When she'd been in the Army, she'd fought against the Unilu raiders and now they were just walking around casually trying to peddle their trinkets. Coran gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

"Now, now, Nayni, you wanted to see this. Are you just going to stand around gawking?" Coran teased.

He seemed very satisfied with himself. He put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. She had deeply regretted coming with them now. Hunk seemed a bit tense, she wasn't sure why. He just was rocking back and forth on his feet rather awkwardly. Lance winked at a group of alien girls that strode by. They skittered away giggling and blushing.

"Is this supposed to be some kind of trap?" Nayni asked. "Is this supposed to entice us to come inside and then they spring out from the shadows and snatch up our coin satchels?"

That was the only reasonable explanation she could come up with.

"Relax, Nanny, it's just a mall. No one's out to rob or murder anyone," Lance said.

She'd still keep alert. The Unilu were not to be trusted. It didn't matter if thousands of years had gone by. Lance grabbed Nayni by the arm and started to escort her away from the others.

"C'mon, I'll show you around. It's really pretty cool," Lance said.

Nayni looked over her shoulder. Coran just smiled at her brightly.

"We'll just be-you know- resupplying. Just getting some essentials," Coran said.

He was just spewing a pile of ruggle at her. He had that gleam in his eye again. He was up to something. Lance tugged on her arm again and she stumbled forward. The Blue Paladin's brown coat swayed as he dragged her along the stretch of polished floors and shops. When Nayni looked back again. Coran and Hunk were nowhere to be seen. This was a fantastic turn of events. She was trapped, alone with Lance, in this terrifying Unilu trap.

"Don't worry about them, Nanny, we're just gonna have a good time and unwind after all of that hard work we've been doing," Lance said.

She didn't trust the smile he flashed at her. He was in on this too. What was Coran trying to hide from her? She'd been under the impression that he was going to be the one showing her around this place, not Lance. The Blue Paladin was already on autopilot though. He weaved around the people as if he'd done it hundreds of times. She had a hard time keeping up with him. The crowds and the lights and the noise were all so overwhelming. Every face she looked upon could be the face of a killer.

"There's a shop here that sells goods from Earth," Lance said. "It's my favorite."

He sounded a tad dejected about the latter. It was an intriguing enough proposition that it distracted her a bit from the paranoia that this place brought on. Most of the Paladins were from Earth. If she was going to be working with them, she should learn something about their culture. But from what she'd gathered, Earth hadn't exactly been discovered by the rest of the universe yet.

"I mean the stuff they have is kind of old—it seems kinda sketchy how they get their inventory but I don't ask too many questions," Lance explained.

His hands were stuffed in his pockets. He wasn't really looking at her as he spoke. His was still trying to maintain that air of confidence about him. Coran had said the boy was terribly homesick. This shop was all he really had to stay connected to his home.

"It's old?" Nayni asked.

Lance nodded.

"Like _really_ old. Like, they have stuff from when my grandparents were young, maybe even my great-grandparents to be honest," Lance said.

Well, Nayni might not be getting caught up on the current climate of Earth's culture but she was fine with a history lesson.

"Old things can be fun sometimes," Nayni said. "Look at Coran. He's a blast."

Her joke just seemed to completely disgust Lance. This brought Nayni a great deal of joy.

They came upon this Earth store that Lance had been discussing. It was tucked in an odd corner of the mall. An alien with a massive head and grey skin hung around the doorway. His clothes looked like nothing Nayni had ever seen before. His pants looked like empty ration sacks and the gold chain around his neck was rather unbecoming. The shop was poorly lit and cramped. The boxes of goods looked faded and worn. The clothes hanging on the wall looked much different than what she'd seen Lance and the other Paladins wearing. They were obnoxious neon colors and the shapes of them were blocky and unflattering. If everyone on Earth dressed like that, things must've been dire.

Lance headed for a shelf in the back. It was filled with strange plastic squares that were wrapped in something crinkly and shiny. He flipped through them. Some of them had strange pictures on the covers, such as plants or machines that Nayni didn't recognize.

"What are those?" Nayni asked.

Lance pulled out one of the squares that had a scantily clad Earth woman on the cover. He handed it to Nayni. She turned it around in her hands and examined it.

"They're called CDs. They have music on them," Lance said.

Nayni furrowed her brow. This little square had no speakers or anything on it that seemed to be able to project this music.

"A see-dee?" Nayni said. "But how does it work?"

Lance seemed to find a CD he liked and pulled it off of the shelf.

"They're out of date by modern Earth standards too," Lance went on. "Pidge rigged up a way for me to listen to them though. Most of this stuff comes from the early 21st century."

He paused and stroked his chin.

"I'm not sure how long ago that would be compared to Altean history," Lance said.

Nayni flipped the CD over in her hand again and tried to make sense of the Earth language written on the back. There had been so many different types of music on Altea. She couldn't really wrap her head around what Earth music could be like. Lance plucked the CD from her hand and put it back on the shelf. He was scrutinizing the selection very closely. Nayni felt rather awkward and useless. She didn't know what half of this stuff was.

"What kind of music are you looking for?" Nayni asked.

She honestly didn't think she'd know even if he told her.

"I'm partial to Miss Britney Spears. _She was everything_ ," Lance said.

That woman was named after a weapon. She must've been a mighty warrior as well as a performer. But if she was 'everything' than she had to possess a great deal of power.

"What does it sound like?" Nayni asked.

She was most interested to hear what this warrior goddess sounded like.

"You could really get down to her stuff," Lance said. "She sang a lot about- _romantic_ stuff."

From the way he said 'romantic,' Nayni could tell the subject matter must've been a bit risque. Lance plucked another CD from the shelf and added it to his pile.

"We can always listen to some stuff back on the Castle," Lance said. "Though I'm not sure it would be your thing."

Nayni thought about all the times she and Allura would listen to bad Altean pop. They would sing along and Nayni was usually rather off-key. Allura had always been a better dancer than her too. Lance didn't know about this though and Nayni didn't dare share such an embarrassing story with him. She couldn't have him sassing her about it.

"I'd like to do that. I might enjoy it," Nayni said.

That was all he was going to get out of her. Lance seemed very surprised. Nayni had been a tad more aggressive with him than she'd been with the other Paladins. He was just so cocky and flamboyant. Nayni grimaced as a realization came to her. Lance reminded her quite a bit of Coran. That made her swallow a bit of bile. Lance gathered up his pile of CDs. As he turned to head to the counter, his jaw dropped.

"Is that chocolate?" Lance said.

He ran over to the counter. A collection of colorfully wrapped objects of varying shapes and sizes were stuffed on a rack by the counter. The boy was practically drooling. He ran his fingers over the various items and seemed unable to control himself.

"What is chocolate?" Nayni asked.

Lance pulled a few of the objects wrapped in a paper that was a deep, rich shade of brown. It had simple white lettering on it. He handed one of them to Nayni. It was thin and hard. Why was everything from Earth some type of square shape? Even this 'chocolate' came in a rectangle.

"It's candy. The _best_ candy," Lance said. "I mean it's probably so old it's bad but I haven't had it in so long."

Anything that was supposed to taste sweet was something Nayni would naturally be interested in. His face was lit up looking at the chocolate candy in his hands. He was marveling over it. He even seemed to be tearing up a bit. Lance sniffled and averted his gaze from Nayni. She felt it was best to let him believe that she hadn't noticed his emotional reaction.

Lance grabbed another handful of the brown wrapped bars. The stack was so thick he could barely hold onto it. Lance slipped the total of his spoils onto the counter and the grey alien started to barter with him. Nayni looked over some of the technology that was scattered around the shop. It all looked so primitive. The designs were geometric and cumbersome. Life on Earth must've been extremely difficult for the humans. She still understood why Lance missed it so much. There was a lot that she missed about Altea.

Lance finished his dealings with the grey alien. All of his purchases were stuffed into a strange flimsy, tan satchel. Nayni followed him out of the shop. Lance's hand was already groping around in the bag. He whipped out one of the chocolate bars and tossed it to Nayni. He pulled out another for himself and ripped open the wrapper with his teeth. Nayni just stared at it and fiddled with the paper nervously. She peeled back the paper. A waxy looking brown material was lying underneath. She sniffed it. It certainly smelled pleasant. It was a sweet scent mixed with a foreign smell that was unknown to her.

Lance took a bite out of the brown wax. He let out a moan and tilted his head back. He closed his eyes as he savored the flavor.

"It's perfect," Lance sighed.

Nayni sniffed the wax again. Lance seemed to be enjoying it. She'd seen the humans eat Altean food and enjoy it so their taste buds couldn't be that drastically different. Nayni took a small bite of the chocolate. It was much softer than it looked. It started to melt on her tongue and she shuddered. The flavor was pure ecstasy. It was rich and creamy and so orgasmically sweet that goosebumps erupted on her skin. It was the most delicious thing she had ever consumed. Of all the exotic foods she'd tried from across the universe, this was quite possibly the most spectacular of them all.

"It's great, isn't it?" Lance said.

Nayni bit off another chunk of the chocolate. She wanted to devour every bar that Lance had in his bag. She had to have all of it. This food tasted like how it felt to have Coran inside her.

"I think I might have to move to Earth," Nayni said.

Lance laughed and shook his head.

"What is this? It's the greatest culinary invention I have ever encountered," Nayni said.

Lance took another bite out of his chocolate.

"I don't know for sure how it's made but it comes from a plant," Lance explained.

Nayni took another bite and let the blessed substance melt on her tongue. This needed to be shared with every living being that existed. It could bring about peace to the universe again. Lance craned his neck around some of the passers-by and looked down the long stretch of shops. He gazed back at Nayni and smirked. If he was going to look out for Coran, he could've tried to hide it better.

She'd shoved most of the bar in her face now. Brown globs of the chocolate were stuck to her fingers. She wanted to share this chocolate with Allura just as they'd shared sweets when she was a child. The Princess had to have this.

"We need to bring this to Allura immediately," Nayni said.

Lance seemed to toy with this idea for a bit.

"You think she'd like it?" Lance asked.

He was genuinely interested in the answer. This wasn't exactly surprising to Nayni. She licked the last globs of chocolate from her fingers. She still wanted more of it. Holding herself back felt like she was restraining a wild animal.

"Allura will love it," Nayni said. "She's always loved sweets and that's never changed."

Lance got a devilish gleam in his eye. Nayni might regret having given him this suggestion but she owed it to him. She'd been a bit harsh with him and after this moment they'd shared, she regretted it a bit. His gift to the Princess wouldn't do too much harm. Though, this substance seemed like it would be the easiest way to woo any sentient being in the galaxy.

* * *

Nayni's heart was pounding as she headed to Coran's personal quarters. Her footfalls echoed through the Palace halls. She couldn't believe that she was heeding the advice of a child. It had been absolutely terrifying earlier in the day when Nayni had asked Mister Smythe if he'd a enjoy a game of muril after the day's work was done. It was the week's end anyway so they had nothing going on tomorrow. Well, she at least had nothing going on tomorrow. She felt bile creeping up her throat. It didn't matter how many times she'd been alone with Mister Smythe, he still drove her mad. She hungered for him but she was still anchored down by fear and doubt.

The closer she got to his personal quarters, the more it felt like her heart was going to hammer its way out of her chest. She was still so afraid to get close to anyone. Nayni was already standing right on the precipice of something dangerously risky. Pining for him from such a distance seemed safer than actually letting him close to her. If anything ever happened to him it would still hurt but it couldn't be nearly as horrific as what she'd experienced with Tomyko. Yet here she was, on her way to spend the evening with him alone. Like a fool.

She reached the door to his quarters and her hand wavered over the control panel. She could still turn back. Nayni could still make the trek back to her quarters and avoid all of this. The urge to be near him was so overpowering. Nayni typed into the control panel. Sweat was already rolling down her forehead. She was going to be an idiot after all. At least the Princess would be happy with her. The door to his quarters swung open. Coran was already hovering in the doorway. She felt like she was going to choke.

He'd already changed out of his uniform and was clad in some blue silken monstrosity with gold trim. A part of his neck was exposed that she had never seen before. She felt a heat rushing to her cheeks and ears. He greeted her with that signature grin of his. Her gaze kept falling to that exposed patch of pink flesh on his neck. She struggled not to imagine what the muscles of his shoulders and bare chest looked like. She went rigid.

"Madame Nordontu," Coran said.

He sounded rather sly.

"Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

Her voice wavered as she spoke. That was most embarrassing. He just smiled and stepped aside. He gestured for her to come in. Nayni had only been to his living quarters a few times. It was never for more than a few dobashes either. It was as extravagant as expected. The atmosphere was warm. The light of his lamps was soft and seemed to make the plush, red velvet furniture glow. He'd probably had dozens of Alteans in here, quivering like excited virgins to his touch. He'd set out two wine glasses that had a delicate gold design along the stems. A bottle of blue Altean wine sat at his gaming table.

Nayni was so overwhelmed that she hadn't the slightest clue how to act or what to say. This wasn't exactly what she'd been expecting. Soft lighting and wine wasn't a sign of anything she was ready for. Nayni took a seat at the gaming table. She practically melted into the plush chair. It felt like she was sitting in a cloud. Coran slid into the seat across from her. He moved with such subtle grace.

"I didn't know you enjoyed muril, Madame Nordontu," Coran said.

He poured himself a glass of wine. He pointed the bottle towards her cup and raised a brow. Nayni's legs were shaking. She was definitely going to need alcohol to get through this. She just nodded and Coran poured her glass. She wasn't particularly fond of wine. She didn't really care for the strong smell or the overly sweet taste. It was too sugary even for her. It never sat well with her either.

"It's all right," Nayni said. "I've just been rather bored lately so I figured I should actually go out and do something."

Nayni wrapped her fingers around the wine glass. She couldn't really hide the fact that she was shaking. She took a cautious sip from the glass. Nayni tried not to wrinkle her nose too much after she swallowed the wine. Coran's eyes were locked on hers as he took a sip from his glass. He was such a torturous and cruel man to look at her that way.

"You don't ever go out with any of your Guardsmen?" Coran asked.

Nayni went to great lengths to not maintain any friendships. If she thought about it, Allura was probably her only friend and she was just a prepubescent child. And of course, there was Coran.

"I don't like to fraternize with my men too much," Nayni said. "I try to keep things as professional as possible. My days of running around bar hopping are far behind me anyway."

It was more that she was too frightened to make that connection with any of them. She'd been to plenty of awkward Nameday parties for her Guardsmen and given lots of friendly pats on the back but not much more. Coran started typing into the control panel of his gaming table. Nayni saw the familiar blue board appear and the holographic pieces arrange themselves on the table. It was going to be much harder for her to remember the rules with him sitting across from her.

"Yet it's all right to fraternize with me?" Coran teased.

That made her die a little bit. Nayni chugged down quite a bit of wine to get past that one.

"We just sort of fell into this friendship didn't we? We're both around the Princess so much it's hard to avoid it," Nayni said.

It was a half-truth at least. She gulped down more wine and poured herself another glass. This was already not the best idea but it was her closest escape route. Coran moved his first piece across the board. Nayni followed suit with a maneuver that she imagined was incredibly stupid. She was pretty sure Coran could take out the piece rather easily already.

"Well, I do enjoy your company so I have nothing to complain about," Coran said.

Oh by King Groggery's spirit, she enjoyed his company too. Her fingers were just permanently wrapped around the stem of her wine glass now. She could already feel her head getting a little fuzzy. At least now she'd be able to relax a bit more. Coran left Nayni's vulnerable piece alone and moved one of his that was on the opposite side of the board. This little act made Nayni take another gulp of wine.

"You are tolerable," Nayni said.

Coran chuckled. It was such a cold response but she was too afraid to say much more. She made another stupid move in muril. Nayni wasn't doing it on purpose, she just still had no idea exactly what she was doing. The air in the room was so tense that they could've sliced right through it. They kept taking turns moving their pieces across the board. Nayni was positive that she was missing some opportunities to take out a few of his pieces.

It was a tad bit harder to concentrate on the game with the wine working its way through her system. Coran's face was starting to flush from intoxication as well. Nayni was smart enough not to consume too much more wine. She didn't want a repeat of what had happened all those years ago with the Space Pirate Gin.

She wasn't used to a game of muril lasting this long. The Princess had slaughtered Nayni's forces rather quickly but Coran just seemed to be dancing his around the board and doing everything he could to avoid hers. Nayni was beginning to realize that Allura's prediction had been correct but she wasn't really sure what to make of that. Coran was fiddling with one of his holographic pieces. His other hand was rested on the surface of the table. She got absorbed in the sight of his slender, long fingers as they rapped on the table.

"I was rather surprised when you asked to meet like this," Coran said.

Oh, this was a discussion that she did not want to have. He was leaning a bit farther over the table than he was before. His violet eyes were twinkling in the soft lamplight.

"You were surprised that I was so desperately bored that I elected to pay you a visit?" Nayni teased.

Her words were her shield. As long as she could tease him with these little insults she could keep him at arm's length. He moved one of his pieces right next to hers. If she didn't move hers, he'd take it out. Nayni reached for her holographic piece without thinking things through properly. His fingertips brushed against her hand and she froze. The feeling was almost electric. She should've pulled her hand away but she didn't. He wasn't pulling away either. Their eyes met.

They were both a bit tipsy but not nearly enough for her to feel absolutely fearless. Nayni's eyes darted over to the door to his bedroom. Was she really thinking about this? It was so tempting. Her innards felt like they were on fire. She felt like she was going to vomit. He'd never looked at her that way before.

"What're we doing, Mister Smythe?" Nayni squeaked.

"Um-playing a round of muril," Coran stammered.

They certainly weren't playing this stupid quiznacking game anymore. He slid his hand over hers and Nayni felt a wave of panic flood over her. Her hand felt like it was coated in burning acid now. The exposed flesh of his neck was giving her a lot of very bad ideas. But she continued to let him hold her hand. Her head was screaming for her to just stand up and leave. It was very hard to listen to her rational side with this wine in her system though.

Coran's fingers brushed along the curved of her wrist. Her stomach was bunching up in knots. The wine must've been making him do this. She couldn't even look him in the eye. Nayni just stared at his hand gingerly latched onto hers and his fingers rubbed along the surface of the tender skin under her wrist. Every hair on her skin was standing on end. Nayni was looking over the edge again. She was either going to take a leap of faith now or she never would.

"I-" Nayni stammered.

She couldn't bring herself to say it. The fear was just too overwhelming. She felt as if she were going to choke. All she wanted was to take Coran back into that bedroom and have her way with him but that desire was being smothered out by her overwhelming fear.

"What is it?" Coran asked.

He spoke so softly that she could barely hear him. He'd leaned in so closely now. Those perfect lips of his and that mustache were right within her reach. She desperately wanted to taste the wine on his lips and feel his skin against hers. Nayni felt herself trembling.

"I need to go," Nayni said.

She pulled her hand away and stood up. She felt like she was going to cry but she couldn't do this. She could never do this again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Coran said.

It didn't help that he was being so nice about it. Nayni just shook her head.

"It's not your fault, it's just—the wine- yes the wine," Nayni said. "I feel a bit ill."

Nayni stumbled on her way to the door. It wasn't because she was intoxicated.

"You should definitely go home and lay down then," Coran assured.

She couldn't do it. She hadn't been able to do it. Maybe she'd been delusional but she felt like she was really running away from him this time. She had to though. Coran would never understand but he didn't need to. It was for the best.

"It was a pleasure, Mister Smythe," Nayni said a bit too loudly.

She hovered by the door.

"I'd like to do this again sometime," Coran said.

Nayni had to look away from him. She closed her eyes and tried to muffle the sob that was trying to escape. She took a deep breath.

"I don't know about that," Nayni said.

It was the first truly honest answer she'd given him all night. It was breaking her heart to say it. She couldn't stand any of this. Looking at him was too painful. Nayni trembled as she stepped out the door. She'd been so foolish to ask for this meeting. It was her own stupidity. It was all because of her own fears that this beautiful evening had fallen apart. He deserved so much more than her. Coran didn't need to be held back by her insecurities. The Princess had been half right. Nayni hadn't lost the game of muril but she was certain she'd lost something else tonight.

* * *

Lance, Allura, and Nayni had gathered in the Blue Paladin's quarters. Allura was inspecting the chocolate bar with much more caution than Nayni had. Nayni had made it quite clear to Allura that the chocolate was the greatest creation that the universe had ever seen but this hadn't done much to alleviate the Princess's concerns. Allura had mentioned something called a 'milkshake' and how it had a rather horrifying process of being created. Coran and Hunk had yet to return to the Castle. The Royal Advisor was definitely up to something. She wasn't going to figure it out anytime soon. He had far too many co-conspirators.

Lance's quarters were rather cluttered. The shelf near his shower was covered with strange bottles filled with different scented gels and fluids that made Nayni's nose wrinkle up. He had stacks of those 'CDs' piled up in one corner. Posters were plastered across his walls. They were covered with that Earth text that Nayni couldn't read. In another corner was a monstrous mechanical device that was an amalgamation of a bunch of scavenged parts. Lance claimed this was the device Pidge had constructed so he could listen to his CDs.

A set of worn looking books was on his dusty shelf. The humans on the covers were clad in very strange clothing and seemed to be holding onto each other in the same manner that she and Coran had clung to each other after making love. The books reminded Nayni of the teledramas she used to binge watch back before the war.

Allura was still nervously sniffing her chocolate.

"Lurie, just eat it," Nayni said.

Allura pouted and reluctantly took a bite. Allura closed her eyes and shuddered. She seemed to melt into Lance's bed as she chewed on the chocolate.

"I told you," Nayni said with great satisfaction.

Allura clutched the chocolate bar to her chest and looked as if she was about to weep from the overwhelming bliss of the treat. A soft smile crept across Lance's face. He turned to face his monstrous musical contraption and started fiddling with one of his CDs. The Blue Paladin thought he was hiding that lovestruck look on his face but Nayni saw right through him. Allura finished stuffing the chocolate in her face. She laid on Lance's bed and let out a very deep satisfied sigh.

"It's made with-" Nayni began.

Allura shook her head and waved Nayni away.

"Nope, I don't want to know. That was too divine to let it be ruined by whatever disgusting process brought about it's creatoin," Allura said.

Those milkshakes must've truly been traumatizing for her. Lance slipped one of his CDs into a thin slot in his machine. He pressed a few buttons and adjusted some dials. The machine sputtered to life. Green and blue lights blinked on.

"This is a classic," Lance said. "My mom really loved this song."

His eyes twinkled with a bit of sadness as he spoke. He cranked up the volume on his device. The rhythm of the music was upbeat. The music swelled as a woman's voice floated through the air. She sang with such passion and strength. Nayni couldn't help but tap her foot to the beat. She tried to hide this from Lance though. The woman sang about a longing to dance the night away with a lover. The lyrics spoke to Nayni on a deeply spiritual level. She found herself tearing up a bit.

"It's like she's singing to my very soul," Nayni stammered.

Nayni clutched at her chest. This was the only song she wanted to listen to for the rest of her life. It was a song about passion and longing and it brought Nayni right back to that ball where Coran asked her to dance. Lance seemed rather taken aback by Nayni's strong reaction but he just smirked.

"That's Whitney Houston. She was a gift to us all," Lance said.

Allura was swaying to the melody with Nayni and giggled like a little girl. Between the chocolate and this splendid music, Nayni understood why Lance missed his homeworld so much. It was filled with many delights from what she'd seen. Lance's gaze was locked on Allura. Seeing her so happy seemed to bring him a great deal of joy. The music faded and the song came to an end. Allura hopped out of Lance's bed. She seemed to be sparkling as she approached him.

"May I have another chocolate, Lance? Please, please please," Allura said.

"Sure thing," Lance said.

He had a gleam in his eye. Lance handed her another bar and Allura excitedly tore open the wrapper. Allura let out a soft moan as she took the first bite. An idea came to Nayni and she knew she was going to regret it. She'd had her fill of holding back now. She'd done it for years and she'd wasted a great deal of time because of that. Watching the Blue Paladin was far too familiar to her. She couldn't believe she was going to do this. Nayni got to her feet and let out a sigh.

"I should get going, I'm rather tired," Nayni lied.

Allura made a rather over exaggerated pout. Globs of chocolate were smeared across her face.

"But Nanny you have to stay! Dance with me and eat chocolate! Just like the old days!" Allura said.

That sounded very nice but Nayni had other intentions now. Nayni patted Allura on the shoulder and tried to fake a yawn.

"I'm sorry, I really need a good nap after all that shopping," Nayni said. "Do enjoy yourself, Lurie."

Lance's eyes darted around the room. He seemed a tad nervous. Nayni knew exactly why too. Lance followed Nayni to the door. He typed into the control panel on the wall. Nayni tugged him out of the door with her. The metal clanked as it slammed closed behind them.

Nayni seized the boy by the collar and pushed him against the wall of the hallway. Lance looked like he was facing his death. They could still hear the muffled sound of the bass pounding from his room. Nayni let out a sigh. She didn't exactly like Lance, but she was finding it very hard to hate him now. And she couldn't sit back and watch him make the same mistakes she had.

"Listen here, you little bunghopper," Nayni said.

She wagged a finger in his face and he recoiled.

"Take note of what I'm about to tell you. Don't wait ten thousand years, like I did, to tell her how you feel," Nayni said.

Lance's eyes widened in shock. He seemed quite surprised that she'd figured him out. It was plain as day to Nayni and Coran but the Princess was clearly oblivious.

"You're cocky and stupid and you make me want to retch most of the time," Nayni said. "But I can see how much you cherish Allura and I have to respect that. Just tell her."

Lance's gaze fell to the floor and his lips were pursed.

"Don't lay down some witty one-liner or give her a stupid wink. You need to actually talk to her, face to face, and let her know how you feel." Nayni said. "You don't have to do it right this second but we're at war so I wouldn't waste too much more of your time. You'll regret it if you don't do this. I promise you that."

Lance rubbed the back of his neck and nodded sheepishly. He was an idiot. Nayni still firmly believed that but he worshipped the very ground Allura walked upon. That was enough for Nayni. She didn't want to watch the boy running away from his feelings to the point of torture either. She couldn't let him be as incredibly stupid as she had been. Nayni gave him a firm pat on the back.

"Thanks, Nanny," Lance said. "I should probably get back in there."

Nayni folded her arms across her chest.

"Get back in there and make her smile. And I swear on King Groggery's ghost that if you keep being a complete imbecile, I will throttle you," Nayni said.

Lance chuckled. He looked like a child that had been caught with his hand in a jar of crisps.

"All right, all right," Lance sighed.

Nayni waved him away and he Lance reentered his quarters. There was a short blast of music that erupted when the doors slid open. Lance plastered on that fake grin as he stepped in. Nayni shook her head as the doors closed. Allura had quite a few admirers in her past but none of them had piloted two of the Lions of Voltron. None of them had tried to bring her joy in the same way that Lance had. He was infuriating and annoying and stupid but of all the boys that had thrown themselves at Allura's feet, he was the only one that Nayni thought was actually worthy of her. This realization made Nayni cringe with disgust.


	13. I Feel It Coming

No matter where Coran went in the Palace, there was a tension in the air. None of the Alteans could look another in the eye. Heads were hung low as people scampered by. It was painfully obvious which ones were oblivious to the recent news because they all seemed confused by the behavior of their fellows. The warm greetings of the unsuspecting Alteans would be met with dejected shaking heads and nothing more. They wouldn't remain naive for long. The death of Zarkon and the destruction of the Galra homeworld was a dark twist of fate that no one had seen coming. Now Coran had been tasked with preparing a royal funeral before Alfor returned home with the remains of his old comrades.

He was almost certain that Nayni and the Princess hadn't received the news yet. It wasn't the only reason he was walking briskly to the Princess's quarters. When he'd received Alfor's transmission, they were the first two Alteans he thought of. A primal fear drove him to get to them as soon as he could. It didn't matter that Nayni had rejected him. He needed to see her. He needed to see her face and take comfort in her presence. Coran needed to feel that sense of hope that he always felt when he looked into Allura's eyes. The Black Paladin had been lost to the universe and an entire race was left without a home. He needed every ounce of hope that he could find.

Coran rounded a corner and narrowly dodged one of the servants who was running down the hall. Neither of them took a moment to apologize. They were both so wrapped up in getting where they needed to go. He hovered in front of the elaborate doors to Princess Allura's room. There had been a few occasions when he'd done the very same thing because he could hear music blasting from the other side of the door. Coran was well aware of the habit that Nayni and Allura had of dancing away their troubles. If the bodyguard found that out she would be absolutely mortified.

Coran entered the security override code and the doors swung open. Allura was hunched over her desk engulfed in her own studies. Her pink streaked hair was loose about her shoulders. The Princess tucked a strand behind her pointed ear. Nayni was perched in a corner, her nose buried in a datapad. She was likely reading one of those sweeping romance stories that she loved. It had been one of the few guilty pleasures that she'd actually admitted to him. As soon as Coran entered, Nayni's gaze shot up to meet his. She was so quick to notice even the slightest change in the environment but his arrival had not exactly been secretive.

He felt like she was looking right through him. Her expression fell. Coran couldn't hide the grief and fear he was feeling. His shoulders were drooped and his heart was heavy. Allura barely acknowledged Coran's arrival. She was too absorbed in her studies. Nayni set down her datapad and approached Coran. She barely made a sound as she crept across the plush carpet. The Guard Captain gingerly rested her hand on his forearm. She'd been afraid to touch him ever since their game of muril so this was a drastic shift in her behavior.

"Mister Smythe, you look as if you've stared death in the face," Nayni said.

Nayni had no idea. Her statement finally caught Allura's attention. Coran wasn't ready to tell Allura. He needed to build back up that strength and warmth he was going to need to comfort her. Dropping the news on Nayni in front of her wasn't exactly the best idea either. He wasn't sure how Nayni would react. Her interactions with Zarkon had been rather minimal but that didn't matter. Zarkon had been a part of something bigger than himself. Voltron was the most powerful symbol of peace and hope that the universe had ever known.

"Can we talk in private, Nayni?" Coran asked.

Her eyes widened. Coran realized he hadn't addressed her by her proper title. Nayni nodded grimly. He'd given himself away with that little slip-up. Coran desperately wanted to wrap his arms around her and take in the scent of her hair. He wanted to feel her warmth against him so he could cherish her existence. Coran was certain that Nayni wouldn't allow that. Allura furrowed her brow in confusion as the two of them slipped out of her room.

Nayni leaned against the wall outside. He needed to lean on her too but he couldn't. Coran ran his fingers through his slick red hair. There had been quite a few ups and downs in his life but there had been nothing like this. Nothing had left him so shaken. He kept searching for the right words. He was trying to find the most graceful and delicate way to give the news. There was never a good way to share news like this. Now that she was standing right in front of him, Coran was struggling not to fall apart. Nayni gripped onto his arm. Her touch was so firm and reassuring.

"I know what it looks like before someone is about to tell me something rather bad," Nayni said. "So just spit it out, Mister Smythe."

He'd almost forgotten that she'd received news just like this so many years ago. Hers had been far more personal. This was a tragedy on an intergalactic scale.

"The mission to Daibazaal went wrong," Coran said.

He made it sound so small and insignificant. Nayni just narrowed her gaze. Her eyes were locked on his.

"Zarkon and Honerva are dead," Coran said. "Daibazaal is gone. They managed to evacuate the Galra but-"

He thought of all the refugees that would be flooding the ports across the universe. All the families that had lost everything they'd ever known. Their leader was gone. All that remained of their home was now carried in their memories. Coran could barely wrap his head around it. Nayni just nodded. She and the Princess had been cooped up all day so they hadn't seen the story looping endlessly on all the newsfeeds. Voltron had been known as the weapon that could do anything. Any impossible problem that had ever existed had been resolved by Voltron. Now, Voltron had finally failed them and on a devastating level.

Nayni took Coran's face in her hands. It shocked him. His heart stopped. Her expression was still cold and grim but something else was hidden in her gaze. Coran couldn't quite place it. He finally felt himself starting to tremble.

"I never thought this would happen," Coran confessed. "Things were going so well."

The warmth of her touch was so overwhelming. He wanted to nuzzle his face into her hands. He needed to fall apart. He needed to let go. He was struggling to hold it all back.

"I have no idea whats going to come of all of this. It's terrifying. I've always had the answers but not for this," Coran went on.

She pulled him close. She wrapped her arms around him. It felt like he was being engulfed by a warm blanket. He needed this. This is what he so desperately wanted. Someone to hold him. He wanted her to hold him. Coran held onto to the back of her head. Her brown hair was brushing against the tip of his nose. He took such comfort in that scent of shoe polish and old leather.

"No one can predict what will come after something of such a magnitude," Nayni said. "Not even you."

She'd fallen apart in front of him once. And now she was returning the favor. He clutched onto her more desperately. Coran couldn't stop shaking. He felt his words catching in his throat. All of this death and destruction had disturbed him. He just wanted to hold onto her until night fell upon them and the dawn came again. It was so rare that they were this close to one another and after their muril match, he never thought it would happen again.

Nayni stroked his red hair. With every touch, he felt that warmth spreading throughout him. She was still here. Coran was in her arms even if her heart was out of his reach.

"They're going to need us now more than ever before," Nayni said.

Feeling her fingers run through his hair and brush against his scalp made the back of his neck tingle.

"We have to be strong for them. It's our duty," Nayni said.

She was right. They'd have this moment right here where he could let all his fears run wild but as soon as they stepped back into Allura's room they'd have to be the pillars of the Royal family. The rest of the universe would have all eyes on Alfor and Allura. They would have the pressure of all of those races looking to them for some kind of answer. It would be up to Coran and Nayni to give them strength behind closed doors. But who would be there for the two of them?

"I don't want to be alone," Coran confessed. "I couldn't bear being alone tonight."

He didn't care if they just sat around staring out a window in an awkward silence. The thought of laying down alone in his cold empty bed with nothing but his thoughts terrified him. Nayni sighed. She stroked his cheek with her thumb.

"You can sleep on my couch," Nayni said. "For as long as you need to."

Her couch was horribly uncomfortable but he didn't care. Coran pulled away from her. He needed to pull himself together for now. Maybe tonight he could fall apart again but for now, he had to put on a facade of strength for the Princess. His personal conflict with Nayni would fall to the back burner. For how long, he had no idea. Nayni grabbed him by the hand. Her grip was so tight that he thought she was going to break the bones of his fingers. She looked him right in the eye. She was so full of determination.

"We will get through this, Coran," Nayni said.

She had never addressed him in that way. It felt as if the ground beneath his feet had given away. Coran nodded weakly.

"Alfor is a strong leader, if anyone can help the universe heal from this, it'll be him," Coran said.

After the years of peace and prosperity that Voltron had brought to the universe, it would take so much more than this tragedy to undo it all. It was a terrible obstacle to overcome but they could overcome it. It would be a rough road and there was much work to be done but they couldn't fail. Coran felt it in his very bones. With Nayni by his side, he'd be able to survive this. It didn't matter if her heart was just out of his reach.

* * *

Nayni was rather cross. Allura and the Paladins had been avoiding her for a good chunk of the day. She'd been stuck on watch on the Castle's bridge and waiting for a transmission from the Blade of Marmora wasn't the most thrilling of things to do. She'd barely seen Coran at all. She knew he was up to something. She had known for a while but now it was just irritating. She wasn't going to find out until he was ready though. The showman in him loved to build up the suspense. The extra lengths he was taking to maintain the secrecy was entirely due to her natural abilities to uncover what was actually going on. It was definitely why he was avoiding her.

Everyone was avoiding her though. It was a grand conspiracy that she was left out of. Nayni flicked her finger across the surface of the control panel. She was searching through the Castle's collection of Altean literature. Most of it was just the classics, things they'd been forced to read during their schooling. Most of it was nothing she was particularly interested in. If she could read that Earth language, she would've just raided Lance's library instead. Nayni let out a sigh of aggravation. There had been quite a bit more dull moments on the Castle than she had expected. They were at war after all and this was Team Voltron. She felt as if things should've been more hectic than this.

The doors to the bridge slid open. Nayni glanced over her shoulder. Allura stepped through the doors. Her silver hair was pulled back neatly in a bun. Allura was putting on quite a show. Her posture was rigid and her chest was puffed out. She was trying to maintain a rather serious expression on her face. Of course, the Princess would be in on it too. Allura was carrying the very familiar regalia of the Captain of the Royal Guard. Nayni knew it wasn't hers but the overly polished gold embellishments and the deep navy blue hue were uncanny.

"Madame Nordontu," Allura announced.

The Princess tried to sound as pretentious as she possibly could. Nayni couldn't help but smile. So this was to be the start of Coran's plans. That was very clear to her.

"You've been cordially invited to attend a private dinner on the Holodeck with Mister Coran Heironymous Wimbleton Smythe," Allura said.

Of course. Nayni couldn't hold back the smile. Her overdramatic idiot boyfriend was being a romantic fool. She loved it. She loved every dobash of it.

"I see," Nayni said.

Allura let her performance slip and she started to giggle a bit.

"I was going to try and find you a dress but I knew this was more your style," Allura said. "The Castle's tailoring program should've made the proper adjustments so it should fit you nicely."

Nayni took the regalia from Allura's hands and looked it over. She was stout and rather wide now so she would definitely have needed those adjustments made. Even during the big events back on Altea, Nayni rarely wore this. It was rather plain compared to the outfits Coran would come up with but this still seemed a bit much to her. She admittedly liked the idea of being a bit sparkly on occasion though.

"It was a wise choice," Nayni said. "I assume I should go get ready now?"

Allura nodded with a great deal of enthusiasm. Allura dismissed Nayni with a curtsy. She was already smiling like an idiot. It all was very stupid but the lengths he was going to were incredibly sweet. She felt like squealing a bit. Coran had a terrible habit of making her feel like a hormone filled teenage girl. Nayni rushed back to their quarters with a bit more enthusiasm than she was willing to own up to. Coran and Nayni had managed to miss out on all of the traditional Altean acts of courtship. It'd been quite a bit of time since she'd had an occasion like this. It was rather thrilling for her.

Back when Nayni was still young and wild, Tomyko would take her out and about. Tomyko would style Nayni's hair and took great joy in dressing her up. Then her wife would parade her around with such pride in her eyes. Nayni didn't have her around to pretty her up now. Nayni had never been particularly gifted in the style department. She skidded by the door to their quarters and typed into the console. She felt like an idiot for getting excited over this but she was. So she'd be an idiot for the evening then. She tossed the glittering regalia on the unkempt bed.

As she scrubbed herself down in the shower, she remembered how she'd spent some lonely nights thinking about all this. She'd concocted all these fantasies in her head about waltzing around the Palace with Coran on her arm. She'd never acted on it though. She'd always kept those secret dreams to herself and let them carry her off to a restless sleep. He was doing all of this for her now. It was an incredible feeling to realize that her fantasies had finally come true.

Nayni slipped on the tile as she scrambled out of the shower. She was already shaking. She witnessed him plan so many grand events over the course of their lives. She knew the lengths he'd go to and just how capable he was of creating a theatrical moment just for the sake of romance. It had never been just for her though. Nayni glanced at herself in the mirror. Her eyes still looked so tired. Her crow's feet and worry lines made her look so worn out but she felt so young tonight. For some reason, that beautiful man was interested in a frumpy old woman.

Nayni pulled her hair back into a bun. It was honestly the only way she knew how to style her hair on her own. The uniform that Allura had put together was just a tad bit tight. Nayni had to suck in her gut to button it up fully. Nayni adjusted the collar and tugged on the ends of her sleeves. There was a comforting familiarity being stuffed into this outfit again. She'd only ever worn it to funerals or weddings. With all the gleaming gold trim and twinkling buttons she actually felt beautiful. The truth was it was Coran that had made her feel beautiful for the first time in years.

The buzzer for the door rang out. What was to happen next? The mystery of it all was both maddening and delightful to her. Nayni typed into the control panel and the doors to their quarters slid open. The young Green Paladin was standing in the hallway with a bright smile on her face. Pidge adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. She was taking just as much delight in the theatrics of all of this as Allura had. It wasn't exactly what Nayni had been expecting of her.

"Good evening, Madame," Pidge said with a little bow.

This was so stupid but she was living for it.

"I'll be escorting you to the Holodeck now if you're ready," Pidge said.

Nayni couldn't hold back the smile on her plump face. Her heart was already racing.

"Lead the way, Miss Holt," Nayni said.

Pidge marched down the hall with great enthusiasm. Her posture was flawless really. The Green Paladin would've made a fine Guardsman. Nayni's steps were a bit clumsier than normal. She was a tad too nervous and excited to be very coordinated. They reached an elevator and Pidge typed into the control panel. Her posture was still rigid and she kept one arm neatly folded behind her back. Pidge had that delighted grin still plastered on her face. Nayni was practically bursting with anticipation. She fiddled with the fabric of her gloves nervously.

"What's he cooked up this time?" Nayni pried.

She didn't think she could possibly wait to find out. This journey to the Holodeck was already tortuous enough. Pidge flashed her a smile.

"Sorry, I've got strict orders not to tell you," Pidge said.

Ruggle. She would have to endure the wait. Nayni let out a frustrated sigh. When the doors to the elevator opened, Pidge made a rather dramatic gesture for Nayni to enter first. Nayni swallowed hard and stepped onto the platform. It had been rather agonizing to wait all these years to have him but these few dobashes were so much more tortuous than all of those years combined.

* * *

Coran rubbed at his dry eyes. His joints were aching from all of the running around he'd had to do that day. The Palace was in a state of chaos since the news of Zarkon's death had spread. There had been so many questions he'd had to answer to all those prying minds. He'd already started making the arrangements for the funeral. All of this had left him feeling completely drained. Maintaining the delicate balance of formalities and being sensitive to the emotions of others was particularly taxing in this instance.

He was hunched over on Nayni's couch. She'd laid out a thick gray blanket made of some awful scratchy material for him. The crisp pillow she'd given him was flat and rather uninviting. If it had been any other night he would've teased her about it. Tonight he just didn't want to be alone. He'd been so desperate to get away from all of the madness that he hadn't even stopped to grab himself a set of clothes for the next day. Nayni had been in the kitchen. He could hear the sound of ceramic cups clinking together and the soft hum of her stovetop as it heated up.

It was already so late. He would barely get any sleep tonight. Neither would she. She'd stayed late with the Princess until Allura had drifted off from pure exhaustion. The girl had been too distressed to continue with her studies. Nayni had said a great deal of talking and reassuring had been involved. The Guard Captain still had her radio clipped to her collar. She was ready to rush back to Allura's side on a moments notice.

Coran felt the familiar scent of his favorite spiced tea tickling his nostrils. Nayni left her kitchenette with a steaming cup in her hands. She gingerly slid the cup onto her coffee table. Coran just stared at the piping hot red liquid in shock.

"You hate this," Coran said. "I didn't realize you'd have any."

Nayni sat down on the opposite end of her couch. She laid back in the seat and rubbed at her temples.

"And now my apartment smells dreadful so please enjoy yourself," Nayni said.

Coran clutched the cup in his hands. The heat seeped into his fingers and ran up the bones of his hand. He brought the cup to his lips. The fragrant steam relaxed him. He took a sip. The familiar mingling of sugar and exotic spices tingled on his tongue.

"Thank you," Coran said.

She'd run away from him quite a few times over the years but she'd been here when he'd needed her the most. Nayni was such a curiosity to him. He cherished her even more tonight. It was all this death and sadness that really made him see it. She was so calm and collected. She hadn't shown a single ounce of fear the entire day.

"Are you all right?" Nayni asked.

Things were always tense with them but it didn't feel that way tonight. Amidst all the hysterics, those old fears seemed to have slipped away. At least he didn't feel held back. She was still acting so formal though.

"I'm not sure," Coran admitted.

He wondered how she was doing too. Behind that wall she put up he knew there was a woman full of passion and loyalty. She was probably just as upset as he was but it was her concern for others that was preserving that stone cold facade of hers. She felt so strongly that she needed to be strong for everyone. She leaned over and gently rubbed his back. They'd broken so many boundaries tonight. He'd always been so worried about respecting them. Coran had never wanted to push her to do anything that she wasn't ready for. Even if it had taken years, he would wait and would keep on doing so.

"As I said, you can stay as long as you need to, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

When her hand pulled away from his back he felt like he was losing a part of himself.

"Just don't go dragging any Alteans into _my_ quarters and having your way with them on _my_ couch," Nayni said.

She was trying to make him laugh but all he did was smile weakly. She always acted as if he had legions of people falling all over him. Coran took another sip of his tea. It made his belly feel warm and it soothed him.

"I haven't brought anyone home for quite a bit of time. I think those days are behind me now," Coran said.

She seemed rather surprised by his confession. Coran had plenty of opportunities over the years to bring someone home but he hadn't been able to follow through with them. Not since she'd come stumbling into his life. He'd had one of her very own Guardsman trying to slip into his bed. Coran had been tempted by the dashing young man but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The more time had gone by, the harder he found it to notice anyone but her.

"Well, I'm afraid it's going to be rather boring around here," Nayni said. "I've got a mountain of sweets and a substantial library of very bad teledramas. So there's that at least."

The idea of cuddling up next to her on this couch and spending any kind of time with her was very appealing to him. She always poked at herself for being boring and dull but he loved that about her. And after today, boring and dull sounded like paradise to him. Nayni reached for her remote. The display of her entertainment console flickered on. She ran her thumb along the surface of her remote and scrolled through the endless rows of shows. Unsurprisingly, a large amount of her collection was romances.

Nayni tossed him the remote. It landed on the cushion next to him. He stared at it for a moment before he scooped it up. Coran didn't really care what they watched. He just needed something to distract him. Anything to take his mind off of the coming storm. He picked a drama at random and set down the remote. The opening sequence was cheesy and the soundtrack was overly saturated with cheeriness. The blue glow of the display illuminated Nayni's round olive face.

He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked. He wanted to grab her by the hand and tell her everything. Coran wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her how much she meant to him. He wanted it so desperately that he thought he was going to burst. An entire planet had just been wiped from the face of existence and his first instinct had been to turn to her. He ran his finger along the rough fabric of her couch cushion. As desperately as he wanted to be selfish right now, Coran couldn't do that to her. She'd gone to some lengths to be there for him and he didn't want to betray that trust.

* * *

Nayni's jaw dropped as she looked upon the Holodeck. Pidge slinked away as soon as the doors slid open. It was as if she'd just set foot on Altea again. The ceiling above looked like the deep violet night sky with the same twinkling stars. The lush emerald grass of her homeworld was spread out around her. A purple, silken canopy had been set up in the middle of the Holodeck. Strings of red paper lanterns were projecting a soft warm light beneath it. A simple round table, draped in a purple cloth sat in the center, flanked by two chairs. And illuminated in that red glow was Coran. He'd stolen her breath away again.

He was clad in a violet and red monstrosity. His cape was glittering like a jewel and his ridiculous white ruffled collar swayed as he walked towards her. She felt her knees growing weak. Even his eyes seemed to be sparkling. Coran bowed before her. He took her by the hand and planted a tender kiss on her knuckles. She could feel the coarse hair of his mustache brushing against her glove. She wanted to have him right here in the middle of the Holodeck.

A strange creature brayed from the corner. It was massive and round with a large pink nose. It was white and covered with large black spots. Its eyes seemed to be completely devoid of any type of intelligence.

"What is that?" Nayni asked.

Coran smiled sheepishly.

"That's Kaltenecker, just ignore her," Coran said.

The creature brayed again. Coran took her by the hand and led Nayni over to the table. Soft music was playing over the sound system. Nayni immediately recognized it as some of the Earth music that Lance had shown her. Now she knew his hand in all of this. Coran slid into the chair across from her. Her cheeks were already flushed but she was rather excited.

"You look lovely," Coran said.

Nayni couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was perfect right down to that neatly coiffed red curl on his forehead.

"I feel a bit underdressed now," Nayni said.

She always felt underdressed around him but competing with him was nearly impossible. Coran had always been the talk of any Royal gathering. No one ever came close. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. She felt like squealing but held it back. If this was how he'd wooed every Altean he'd been interested in she had no idea how he'd never gotten snatched up. She was already sold on having him for the rest of her life.

The doors to the Holodeck slid open again. This time it was Shiro who entered. The Black Paladin seemed to be completely out of his element. He was grimacing as he tried to balance the two plates of food in his arms. Nayni was certain that's how she would've been reacting to all of this so she felt a great deal of sympathy for him. It was quite obvious that he rather be anywhere else on the Castle then the Holodeck right now. Shiro set the plates down before them rather stiffly.

The smell of the food was divine. The white plate was full of some succulent looking meat that she'd never seen before with yellow tube-like vegetables. Nayni was already drooling over it. Shiro tried to sneak away but Coran let out a very forced cough. Shiro's shoulders sank and he sighed. It seemed not all of the participants in Coran's plans were particularly willing.

"I hope you enjoy this splendid meal that our chef has prepared for you," Shiro said dryly. "And if either of you need anything, please let me know."

Shiro looked like he wanted to throw himself out of the airlock. The Black Paladin's eyes darted over to Coran. He was silently begging to be free of this.

"I believe that we're fine, thank you," Coran said.

He unfurled his napkin rather dramatically and laid it across his lap. Shiro tried to sneak away again. Coran forced an even louder cough this time. The red-head shot Shiro a dirty look. The Black Paladin let out a long tortured sigh and shook his head. Shiro gave the most awkward and stiff bow that Nayni had ever seen. She couldn't help but cringe. Coran didn't seem completely satisfied with this outcome but he finally let Shiro escape from the Holodeck.

Coran snapped back to his cheesy, romantic self. He flashed Nayni a devilish smirk as she took a bite from her food. The tender meat seemed to melt in her mouth. It would take a great deal of self-control for her to not shovel the meal down her gullet like some kind of barbarian.

"Do you like it?" Coran asked. "Hunk's quite the talented gourmand."

All of the pieces had come together now. He really had dragged everyone on the Castle into this.

"It's delightful," Nayni said.

She was so happy she felt as if she were going to die. Coran chatted her up while they dined. He'd stroke the end of his mustache, listening intently to every word she uttered. Nayni confessed to him how she managed to get a hold of that old recruitment pamphlet. Her Guardsmen had found a box full of them in one of the old storage closets. They'd all been giggling about it and how ridiculous the Royal Advisor looked. Nayni had slipped one of them in her pocket when no one was looking. Coran found this very amusing.

They shared all the little things that they'd tried to hide from each other. Nayni had failed to hide quite a few things from Coran. It made her cheeks and ears flush. She blushed even more furiously when Coran told her about all of his gestures that she had failed to pick up on. Nayni wasn't sure if it'd make that big of a difference anyway. If she'd really noticed she would've been too scared to say anything about it. Thinking about the way he'd been looking at her with those secret lurid thoughts made her heart race. She'd done the same thing to him for years.

Coran wiped the edges of his mouth with his napkin and set it on the table. Nayni was a bit unceremonious about it. She was terrible with table manners. She hadn't had the years of etiquette training that he'd had though. Coran rose from the table. His grand cape swept about his lithe body. He rounded the table. His eyes were gleaming. He looked so smug. Coran extended a hand to her. She already knew what he was about to ask.

"May I have this dance, Madame?" Coran asked.

He was very pleased with himself. She took his hand and let him help her to her feet.

"I would love nothing more," Nayni said.

Coran wasn't the only one with a surprise tonight. She'd been sitting on this one for many years. Coran escorted Nayni out into the middle of the Holodeck. The synthetic grass swayed in the air. It was Nayni who had the smug look on her face now. She got into position. She rested a hand on Coran's shoulder and let him grasp the other. He seemed quite surprised. Nayni got on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. She could feel his sideburns tickling her cheek.

"The Princess ordered me to take dance lessons after I turned you down at that ball," Nayni confessed.

Nayni could never disobey a command from Allura so she'd followed through. Coran grabbed Nayni by the waist and pulled her against his body. She allowed herself to giggle like a young girl. They twirled around the Holodeck to the rhythm of the music. It had been quite some time since those ballroom dancing lessons so she was a tad rusty. Nayni only made a few missteps by some miraculous twist of fate. He took the lead first. Coran would twirl her around and nuzzled his face into her neck. He whispered racy and witty things into her ear and Nayni swooned.

Tonight they weren't at war. They weren't the last Alteans alive in the universe. There was nothing to fear. There was no Galra empire and there were no battles to be fought. His hips swayed with the music. Coran's grand cape swirled around them as they spun around. She started to let her hands rove down the curve of his back. Nayni grabbed his rear end and he smirked. Coran's hands slid down her side and came to rest on her wide hips. Their dance transformed from something more traditional into something quite a bit more flirtatious.

Coran gingerly tilted Nayni's head to the side. He brushed his lips along the surface of her skin. Nayni wrapped her arms around Coran's neck. Nayni felt his hot breath on her neck and the sensation of his mustache brushing against her flesh gave her chills. Nayni grabbed him by the large, bejeweled collar and a grin spread across her face.

"Mister Smythe," Nayni whispered in his ear.

Coran pulled her closer. He ran his teeth along her earlobe and Nayni let out a soft moan.

"Yes, Nayni?" Coran asked.

She ran her fingers through his red hair and nuzzled her face into his neck.

"I want you to take me back to our quarters right now and have your way with me until my legs give out," Nayni said.

* * *

Coran stirred on Nayni's couch. He was engulfed in that scratchy grey blanket. The dim light of the monitor flickered as the teledrama's credits scrolled across the screen. Nayni's head was lolled back and her mouth hung open as she slept. One of her thick arms was dangling over the back of the sofa and her fingertips were brushing against the tip of his pointed ear. Coran had rested his head in her lap. He must've crawled to her in his sleep. If she had been awake, she would've pushed him away.

Coran wiped the drool from the side of his mouth. He didn't dare move. He didn't want to disturb her. He also didn't want to be apart from her. Coran reached for the remote and turned off the entertainment console. Nayni's quarters were silent except for the sound of her soft breathing. Coran rested his head back in her lap. He felt so alive, feeling her warmth radiate into him. Nayni had been his dearest friend for years and he wanted it to be so much more than that.

He'd have to repay her for this someday. He didn't know how but he must. Coran tugged the atrocious scratchy blanket over his shoulder. He nuzzled his face against her leg and ran his fingers across the curve of her knee. Nayni's arm twitched in her sleep. She murmured something under her breath and her hand came to rest on his head. Coran's heart was pounding in his chest. She gave him a gentle pat on the head. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she slept.

There were so many things that he had wanted to say to her during the light of day. He wanted to reveal that one last truth to her but he didn't want to wound her. He didn't want to put this burden on her and force her to act. If Nayni were to be with him he wanted it to be her choice alone. The wait was pure agony but he couldn't bring himself to do anything else. She'd been so fearful and he didn't want to scare her. Coran tilted his head to look up at her. He could barely make out her silhouette in the darkness.

"I love you, Nayni Nordontu," He whispered.

She remained still. Her lips still barely parted.

"I love you and I will wait for you until the day I die if that's how long it takes," Coran said.

He kept his volume barely above a whisper. Finally saying it out loud was freeing. After all that had happened he needed to feel that desperate relief. The words had been on the tip of his tongue all day, trying to escape from his lips. He'd let it out now. He'd laid himself bare to the forces of the universe. At least this way it would do her no harm. He took in her scent for the last time and sat up.

Coran gingerly moved her arm back onto the back of the couch. He slid back over to his side. Coran tucked the wretched pillow beneath his head. The scratchy blanket wasn't quite long enough to cover his feet. At least now when she woke, Nayni wouldn't be horrified to see that they'd made physical contact during the night. He smiled as he remembered the first night he'd spent in this apartment. He could still taste that awful pungent flavor of the Pirate Gin. The way her face lit up when she laughed was still so clear to him. That was the night he found out that she actually quite enjoyed his jokes. That was the night he realized he wanted her.

* * *

Coran cupped Nayni's plump face in his hands. Their clothes were already in a heap on the floor of their quarters. She could still taste that exquisite meal on his lips. His kiss was slow and gentle. Coran lay Nayni on the bed gingerly. His hands ran along her curves and he gripped her thick thigh. She ran her fingers through his red hair. She took in a sharp breath as he planted buttery kisses along her neck. Coran pulled her against his body. She wrapped her legs around his waist. The thin patch of hair on his chest rubbed against the surface of her skin.

She wanted to absorb every detail of this moment. The slight curve of his lips as they parted in a smile. That scent of spiced tea rolling off of his skin and onto hers. She wanted to remember all of it. Warmth radiated from her core and made the tips of her fingers and toes tingle. His face was so flushed it was redder than his hair.

Nayni clung to him. She could feel the muscles of his back relaxing. She stroked his red hair as he caught his breath again. He couldn't stop smiling and Coran let out a soft chuckle. It was an odd time to laugh but it made her smile. Coran rolled on his side. His smile was bringing out the laugh lines on his face. He ran his thumb along the curve of her face. His smile softened.

"Why are you chortling like a schoolboy?" Nayni asked.

She was chuckling too mostly because his happiness was so infectious. She watched his eyes flicker all over her. His eyes were practically sparkling.

"I told you how I felt once, while you slept," Coran said. "Back then, I never thought this would happen."

Nayni brushed a red curl away from his face. The way he was smiling made her want to cry. She never thought she'd be the one to make him this happy.

"When was that?" Nayni asked.

She cupped his face in her hands and stroked the sharp angles of his jaw with her thumb.

"The day Daibazaal fell," Coran said. "You let me stay on your couch and we fell asleep watching that horrible teledrama."

Nayni remembered that day. It was the start of the end. They'd had no idea at the time though. Nobody could've predicted that Zarkon would come back to life and rain his wrath down upon the universe. It was terrifying. She'd been so uncertain of what the future would hold but she'd put up a front. She'd done it for Allura but more so for him. It had been one of the most trying and exhausting days of her life. She'd slept so deeply that night that it was no surprise that he could've said something and it wouldn't have disturbed her.

"I thought about telling you how I felt that day too," Nayni confessed.

Instead, she'd clung to duty out of fear. Coran pulled her close. He took in the scent of her hair and she could feel his face pressed against hers.

"We've come so far, Nayni," Coran said.

They had but she knew they still had so much ahead of them. Yet she felt as if she could conquer the universe now. They'd lost everything and beaten all the odds and now they were here. They were finally together after all those years of anguish and longing. All those fears and doubts meant nothing now. They were just the remnants of a different life.


	14. Wannabe

_Author's Note: Its your boy, Loverboy Lance. I was worried this chapter might be a little preachy but I really wanted to discuss some LGBT issues._

* * *

The Paladins of Voltron had gathered in the Castle's kitchen. They were scavenging over the remnants of the feast that Hunk had prepared at Coran's request. Lance was stabbing at the meat idly with his spork. He and Allura were perched on the countertop, their slender legs dangling over the edge. Pidge was helping Hunk clear up the mountain of dirty pots and pans that were left in the wake of Hunk's cooking spree. Shiro was leaning against a wall, arms folded across his chest and a subtle smirk on his face.

Coran's plan had finally come together and the whole affair had left Lance feeling rather content. The Paladins had helped turn the Castle into his home away from home and Coran had been the biggest part of that. That's why Lance hadn't hesitated when Coran turned to him with his schemes. Lance felt like who owed him. Coran had done so much for the Blue Paladin and he wanted to pay him back for all of that.

The Blue Paladin thought he might have to give the older Altean some pointers on wooing women but was pleasantly surprised to see that Coran had his bases covered. Coran was definitely just as much of a lady's man as he was. Well, Lance knew he was more than _just_ a lady's man. That was just one of the many things they'd talked about during their private therapy sessions. He'd been a little confused at first but it didn't take long for Lance to understand. It didn't change his opinion of the Castle's helmsman either.

Pidge cracked a rather raunchy joke and Allura nearly spit out her food laughing. God, she looked so beautiful when she smiled. Lance had always found her beautiful. She really was a knockout but Allura turned out to be so much more than that. She was ferocious, powerful, strong and determined. She was the total package.

He had no problem strutting around the universe making passes at cute alien girls but Allura was a whole other story. Yeah, he could wink at her and flash her his silver grin but the idea of actually telling her how deep his feelings ran was pretty scary. Lance hadn't had it this bad for a girl in quite a while. Not since they'd left Earth.

Hunk tried to stack the last of his dirty cookware rather precariously in the dish sanitizer. Lance's friend had to slam the door closed a few times before the sanitizer was finally secured. The device whirred as it turned on. They heard the soft hum of the ultra hot lasers as they burned off the food debris from the dishes. Hunk wiped off his hands on his already filthy apron.

"Does anybody else feel kinda weird that we just helped Coran get laid?" Hunk said.

Everyone let out a disgusted groan, even Lance. Shiro just grimaced and shook his head. Allura nearly choked on her food.

"Hunk, please, they're like another set of parents to me!" Allura said.

Lance was taken aback.

"You were the one who was the most excited for this whole thing!" Lance said. "And you're grossed out?"

Allura had gone into a fit of giggling when she was approached by Lance and Coran. The joy and excitement she'd had in her eyes made her seem to sparkle. Her nose was just wrinkled up in disgust now. She set her plate of half eaten food on the counter.

"I'm very happy that they've finally gotten together but that doesn't mean I enjoy imagining them-" Allura began.

Her face scrunched up in disgust.

"I don't like to think about them doing _things_ ," Allura said.

By the look on everyone's faces, Lance was pretty sure that nobody liked to think about that. Shiro especially seemed horrified by it all.

"If we could talk about anything else. Literally anything. That would be great," Shiro sighed.

Shiro ran his fingers through his tuft of white hair and shook his head. Pidge was pushing around some of the stray crumbs on the tabletop and had a coy look on her face.

"Well, I mean when we all volunteered for this we kind of knew what the results were gonna be," Pidge said.

Shiro threw his hands in the air and started to storm off.

"Nope. Nope, not doing this." Shiro said. "I'm going to the bridge and see if Keith's found anything about Lotor yet."

He couldn't seem to get out of the kitchen fast enough. Lance and Pidge snickered as the Black Paladin fled the scene. Hunk started to untie his apron. He tossed the stained clothing onto the table and took a seat across from Pidge. Allura seemed to have completely lost interest in her food after the turn the conversation had taken. Lance was still a bit surprised by her reaction after seeing how excited she'd gotten over all of this.

The night after they overcame the Terrapin challenge, it was all Allura could talk about. She'd been beaming over it. Allura had gone on and on about her childhood by the orange light of the fire. Lance had learned so much more about her that night. He'd been so hungry and desperate for every tidbit of information she could provide for him. Lance had always been fishing for information about her from Coran but he didn't want to be a creep about it so he never probed too much. But that night had been so magical. He'd learned so much and it had only made him fall even harder for her.

She'd whispered to him so excitedly under the cloak of night. She'd told him about the adventures she'd had with Nayni and how the bodyguard wasn't nearly as grumpy and hard as she appeared. Allura had told him that she'd noticed when she was very young the tension between Nayni and Coran. It hadn't been until Allura had gotten a little older that she realized just how deep those feelings ran. It gave Lance a whole new perspective on their situation.

What had stuck with Lance more was the fact that he'd gone all this time never knowing just how important this figure had been in Allura's life. She'd never mentioned Nayni. Allura had always been so focused on the future of the universe. She was so determined to set things right that she rarely spoke of the past.

Having her open up to him like this, it was crazy how good it felt. Pidge tossed a crumb at Hunk. It bounced off his forehead and he tossed one right back at her.

"Nanny just doesn't seem like she'd fit with him," Hunk said. "Ya know because she's all-"

Hunk mimicked Nayni's signature scowl and the rest of the Paladins erupted with laughter. Pidge leaned back in her seat and fiddled with her glasses.

"I still think she's pretty cool, even if she yells at us a lot," Pidge said.

Hunk snorted and shook his head.

"Nope, she still scares the crap out of me," Hunk said.

Lance had been off-put by Nayni at first. She wasn't exactly a delicate woman. Allura had been the only other Altean woman that Lance could compare her too though. Nayni was her polar opposite. Now he wasn't really sure what to think about her. She'd been really hard on him but after she pulled him aside in the hallway the other day he was just confused.

Nayni had encouraged him to talk to Allura. For someone who seemed to hate him so much it was weird that she'd give him that piece of advice. But Nayni seemed just as dedicated to Allura as he and Coran were. So he had to respect her for that. Allura tried to smother her giggles with her hand. She was always trying to be so prim and proper but Lance loved it when she let loose. His mind kept drifting back to how she looked splayed out on his bed after eating all that chocolate.

"She's not that scary!" Allura insisted. "Nanny is a giant softy."

A few days ago, Lance would've protested this but he didn't really feel like that was a farce anymore. He just shrugged and smiled coyly.

"Allura's right, she's definitely got a soft side," Lance said.

Hunk and Pidge were in complete shock. Pidge leaned over the table so she could get a better look at Lance.

"Are you kidding me!? She's literally threatened to kill you multiple times a day since she got here!" Pidge said.

This was true but the threats of violence had died down a bit lately. Lance shrugged.

"She gives good advice," Lance said.

He slightly regretted saying that as soon as the words left his mouth. He looked at Allura nervously. The Princess just stared at him with an inquisitive look. One of her slender silver brows was raised slightly.

"Advice about what?" Allura asked.

Lance wasn't going to have much trouble getting himself out of this. He was the master of slipping out of sticky situations.

"Ah, ya know, just about beating the crap out of people and how to pick up chicks," Lance said. "Nanny's been around the block a few times."

When he'd first used those idioms Allura had been so confused by them but she'd been around the Paladins enough now that she knew most of their slang. Lance had tried to learn more about the phrases from Altean culture but they all just seemed really awkward when they came out of his mouth. He wasn't even sure he used them properly. Hunk seemed to be more confused by Lance's statement than anything else.

"Wait, picking up chicks? But she's with Coran. Why would she know how to pick up chicks?" Hunk said.

Lance groaned. He'd been just as ignorant when he'd talked about this with Coran. There were plenty of gay people on Earth but Alteans just approached it all on a completely different level. They never needed to clarify things. They all just accepted it as is. At least that's what he'd gathered from what Coran had said.

Allura found the Yellow Paladin's confusion much more amusing. She leaned forward and had that tiny smile on her face. It was the same look she always made when she was about to explain something to any of them. She was so much more patient than Lance. That's why she was so good at making connections with people. With whole societies too. She was willing to take the time to bridge those cultural gaps. He'd give anything to bridge that gap between the two of them.

* * *

Even with his headphones on with relaxing music, Lance couldn't sleep tonight. That had been his crutch since all of this crazy shit had gone down and now it wasn't working. It had been insane enough to find a giant robot lion but being teleported across the universe and finding more robot lions that turned into a giant freaking robot? It was a bit much but it had really happened. And apparently the Castle wasn't actually a castle, it was a giant spaceship. They'd barely left Arus but even that seemed like it was a million years ago. His life had changed literally overnight.

Lance sat up in his bed and scratched the back of his head. All of these revelations hadn't really been what was holding him down. It was exciting to realize that the universe was filled with exotic alien races and that he'd become a part of something on such a monumental scale. But every time he'd gone to lay his head down at night, he was just bum rushed with memories of home.

He kept seeing the faces of his family, he could still taste and smell pizza, and he still had the halls of the Galaxy Garrison memorized. Would he even need to know those twists and turns anymore? Would he even see the beach or how his cute little niece giggled when she saw crabs scuttling across the sand? These were the things he was fighting for but he couldn't see them or hold them in his hands. They were so far away.

Lance put on his slippers. He didn't feel like lying in bed anymore and thinking about everything he missed. Maybe a walk around the Castle would clear his head. The hallway lights of the Castle were dimmed for the night. Actually, he wasn't even sure if it was nighttime. That didn't really matter in the middle of space. Lance shuffled down the hallway, his hands were stuffed in the pockets of his blue robe.

He sighed as he walked by Keith's quarters. Of course, he had to deal with that bastard in the middle of the intergalactic space apocalypse. Having his rival around definitely wasn't helping Lance adjust to the new situation. He found himself wandering to the bridge. He wasn't really sure where else he would go. He just wanted to walk around until he was exhausted enough to crawl back into bed.

Lance had expected to walk into an empty room and gaze out of the massive window at the twinkling stars but the bridge was occupied. The room was brightly lit and Coran was just standing there. He was staring out the window and stroking the end of his mustache. Lance wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping tonight apparently.

He was kind of glad that it was Coran that he'd run into. They didn't know each other very well yet but Coran had lent him an ear when he'd needed to vent in the past. Coran turned on his heel to face Lance. A genuine warm smile was on his face. Even Lance could tell that Coran was exhausted though. He could see it in the Altean's eyes.

"Ah Lance, what are you doing up and about at such a late varga?" Coran said.

Lance still couldn't get over the fact that Coran sounded like a random dude from New Zealand. He'd expected an alien to have some strange exotic accent not something so familiar. From the tone of Coran's voice, Lance didn't think there was anything wrong. Maybe the old man had a habit of staying up late and staring out windows. Alteans seemed weird enough that he'd believe it.

"Shouldn't you be asleep too?" Lance said.

He flopped down at his station. It was the only real comfortable spot to sit on the bridge. Lance lay back and let himself melt into the curved back of his chair. Coran looked back out to the spacescape. His head hung a little low.

"I'm afraid I've been having a bit of trouble sleeping as of late," Coran said.

Lance rested his hands behind his head and looked up at the canopy of the bridge. The nebula overhead was breathtaking but he was having a hard time appreciating it tonight.

"Yeah, same, man," Lance said. "I can't stop thinking about home."

Lance needed to talk about it. After his first chat with Coran, he'd felt like the burden got a little easier to bear. Coran just nodded slowly. He seemed to know what Lance was going to say before he'd even opened his mouth.

"I've been thinking a lot about the people of Altea," Coran said. "The ones I knew."

Lance had a hard time picturing a planet full of Alteans. All he had to go off of was Coran and Allura. The two of them looked so strikingly different that he couldn't imagine what all the others must've looked like.

"I keep seeing my mom's face when I close my eyes," Lance said. "My whole family, honestly. They have no idea where I am or what I'm doing. They're probably scared."

Lance used to feel like his mom smothered him. Now he missed her abundance of affection. She'd showered him with kisses when he'd gotten into the Galaxy Garrison. She was so proud of him even when he was just a stupid cargo pilot. He smiled when he thought about how she used to scold him in Spanish when he was just a little kid. Lance knew his disappearance was destroying her. His older brother had probably put on a brave face for her but he was probably crumbling apart too. They weren't the only people that were haunting the Blue Paladin though.

"It's so stupid but I keep thinking about these random people from my life too," Lance said. "Like the really moody cashier that used to sell me frozen yogurt or-"

He was thinking about Rachel again. They'd barely even spoken back at the Garrison but he wished they had more now. He'd hit on her quite a bit and she always seemed completely disgusted by him. Pidge and Hunk teased him mercilessly for that.

"There was this girl I really liked," Lance said.

Coran just smiled and ran his gloved hand along the curve of his mustache.

"We barely knew each other but, I just keep thinking about what could've been, ya know?" Lance said.

Coran furrowed his brow. It as barely noticeable but his shoulders slumped a little bit too. Coran leaned against the main control panel. He seemed to be a million miles away.

"I have someone like that too," Coran said.

God, why didn't he think about this? Coran was old enough that he probably had a wife and kids on Altea. And they were super, super dead now. Lance just ripped open a wound that he really shouldn't have. It was too late to go back now and it looked like Coran needed to get it off of his chest.

"You had a family?" Lance asked.

He spoke with such sadness. Lance didn't need to know Coran that well to understand how awful that must feel. He'd been pretty amazed that Coran was able to keep it together most of the time. If Lance had really lost Earth like they'd lost Altea, he'd have gone insane.

"I never got around to that. Allura and King Alfor were like family to me. I never actually got married," Coran said.

That just seemed horribly depressing. Lance continued to listen.

"I had someone for a while. They were a great person but they couldn't really handle how much time I had to invest in my work so they didn't stick around long," Coran explained.

Lance leaned forward and raised an eyebrow.

" _They?_ " Lance asked.

Coran rubbed the back of his neck and let out a little yawn. He seemed to be trying to puzzle out how to explain this to Lance.

"I'm not sure if you have this on Earth but on Altea, there are people that see themselves as neither men or women," Coran explained.

They definitely had that on Earth but Coran talked about it so casually. From what Lance's grandmother had told him, things had been pretty screwed up back in the day for anyone like that. Things weren't exactly perfect when he left either. Lance's mom had cried when his brother came out. She ended up coming around but it was still a tender topic for that side of the family.

"Yeah, we've got people like that," Lance said.

His eyes narrowed a bit. He was just more confused now that he'd fully processed what Coran just said.

"Wait so-you're not straight?" Lance asked awkwardly.

Coran just stared at Lance with a blank look on his face. He and Allura were seriously on the struggle bus when it came to Earth vocabulary. They'd just be talking and then it'd come to an abrupt halt like this while they tried to explain phrases to each other. Coran looked himself up and down from boot tip to the red curl on his head.

"No, I'm not perfectly straight. What does that have to do with the conversation?" Coran asked.

Lance couldn't help but laugh. He couldn't really blame the guy for not knowing any better but it still was really amusing.

"I'm _straight_. Like I'm a guy and I only like girls," Lance said.

This seemed to clear things up quite a bit. Coran started to nod his head rather vigorously.

"I'm fine with whatever opportunities present themselves. I'm a gorgeous man after all, why should I limit myself?" Coran said with a wink.

Lance's eyes widened and he flopped back int his seat. He just hadn't expected that from Coran. He didn't know what he was expecting because he didn't really know him that well to begin with. It'd been weird when his brother told them he was gay. It wasn't because it grossed Lance out. It was just different. It seemed like his brother had secretly been a completely different person for their entire life but that's not how it was. He was still the same goofy jock that he'd always been. Once Lance realized that it was back to normal. Coran seemed very intrigued now by the conversation. He was stroking his chin and looked rather inquisitive.

" _Straight_ is an interesting label. We had labels like that on Altea but they were very old and no one really cared about them anymore," Coran explained. "We just would ask each other and that was that. No one really felt the need to categorize themselves anymore."

That must've been really confusing. Lance couldn't wrap his head around it that well. How could people just run around without a label like that? How did they know who was available or who would even be interested in them? He felt a mild shock when he realized something. He didn't really know that on Earth either. He'd probably hit on plenty of girls that had no interest in boys whatsoever.

"If nobody really had labels how did you guys not get confused?" Lance asked.

Coran found this proposition deeply interesting.

"I guess it makes sense to have things set in clear categories," Coran said. "The Guvveries of the Fentor system were like that. They were very rigid. They didn't allow anything in between. Everything was very binary. They divided the entire planet based on the sexes and only ever came together to-"

Coran grinned sheepishly.

"-to procreate," Coran finished.

Aliens were freaking weird. Lance furrowed his brow.

"Earth wasn't that rigid," Lance said.

Coran mulled this over as he rubbed his chin.

"I suppose Altea and Earth weren't that different after all." Coran said. "Sounds like you humans were just a bit more organized about things. There's no harm in that."

Coran's smile fell away a bit. His gaze drifted to the floor. The excitement of learning about another culture seemed to have faded.

"The woman I-cared about. She'd been married to a woman before I met her but she liked men too," Coran explained. "This was quite a while after my previous partner and I parted ways. I remember Allura's mother had just died."

Coran's expression softened. He seemed to be smiling and tearing up all at once. Lance just sat back in his seat quietly.

"Her wife had died a few years before she became Allura's bodyguard," Coran said. "Its how she got that job, honestly. Alfor wanted the Princess to have some kind of strong female influence around while she grew up and Madame Nordontu had dealt with death too. There wasn't really another candidate who was as qualified for the job."

The red-haired Altean seemed like he was holding back a little. Lance tapped his fingers against the surface of his control panel.

"I didn't know Allura lost her mom," Lance said.

The thought of growing up without his own mother made Lance feel a twinge of fear.

"The Princess was so young, she barely remembers it," Coran said.

He tugged on the shirt of his uniform. It seemed like he was trying to collect himself a bit.

"I grew quite fond of Madame Nordontu," Coran admitted.

His voice wavered only ever so slightly. This woman was most definitely dead. Everyone Coran had ever known was dead. Lance was sitting here fretting about his family that was safe and sound back home on Earth and Coran didn't even have that comfort. Everyone he knew was just gone. He'd literally woken up to find out his entire world, his entire life, didn't exist anymore. Lance leaned forward in his seat. When his grandfather had passed, his grandmother seemed to really love talking about the old times. She'd cry a lot but she smiled too.

"What was she like?" Lance asked.

He was a little worried that Coran wouldn't want to talk about it but he actually seemed to lighten up a bit. Coran glanced down at the polished floor and let out a sigh. His smile was soft and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Well, she could out drink me, for one," Coran said. "Her life completely revolved around her work, just like me. She was dedicated down to her very core. And I'm fairly certain she could've snapped me in half with her bare hands."

He snickered a bit.

"She loved Allura so much. She would've thrown herself off of a cliff for the Princess," Coran said.

Coran stiffened. He let out a soft sigh as he stared out at the stars.

"I should've told her how I felt," Coran said.

Lance's heart sank. He'd wished he said something to Rachel but he at least still could. Coran wasn't ever going to get that opportunity. And Coran wasn't talking about some crush. Lance could hear that in his voice. This ran deep.

"She probably knows now," Lance said.

He didn't have the slightest clue how Altean religion worked but he knew how things worked for his family. He'd always found comfort in that and it was the only comfort he could come up with for Coran.

"She's still with you, watching over the both of you," Lance said.

Coran smiled. Lance thought the Altean was tearing up but he wasn't going to point that out.

"Of course she is, she couldn't leave Allura unattended," Coran said.

They both chuckled over that one. It was nice to feel like he wasn't alone. Lance wasn't the only person hurting on the Castle. He felt a bit selfish to think about it that way but he'd been feeling so lonely since they'd gotten here. At least he knew he always had Coran to turn to. Shit, he'd have to be there for Coran too from the sounds of things.

* * *

Lance felt like he was about to crap his pants but Nayni's aggressive pep talk just couldn't be shaken from his mind. This didn't even seem like it was good timing either but when was a good time? He'd asked enough girls out in his time to know that there was never a good time. Perfect timing wasn't a thing that actually existed. Breakups, hookups, marriages, divorces, births, and deaths all just happened regardless of what was going on. The longer the four of them sat in the kitchen, the more Lance felt like he was going to explode. He'd barely been able to concentrate on the conversation that'd been going on for the past hour or so.

Allura had been chatting with Hunk and Pidge about the differences between Altean genders and sexuality. The conversation had devolved a bit into a weird giggle fest. Lance felt like he was dying. Why did she have this magical power over him? She just slowly chipped away at all of his confidence until he just didn't know what to do with himself. He'd always thought she was hot but he couldn't pinpoint the moment that he realized she was a lot more to him than that. He'd do anything for her. Absolutely anything.

He knew it had to be tonight. He didn't want to end up like Coran and Nayni. He didn't want to throw away years of potential happiness out of fear. He was also pretty sure Nayni would actually punch him in the face if he didn't make a move soon. He'd never really been afraid like this to approach a girl. Allura had thrown him completely out of whack. Lance had been turned down before. It always sucked but he could handle it. He'd just get back up and move on to the next girl. But the idea of Allura rejecting him was heart-wrenching. That would be a hard one to get over.

He didn't even have the slightest clue how she even felt about him. It was obvious that Allura considered them all friends. Things had gotten a little weird before Keith took off though. That had made him so freaking jealous. Even that was so hard to read though. Keith didn't seem to get why it was kind of tense but Allura wasn't really making things clear either. Lance didn't have a lot of evidence but he just felt it. He just felt like there'd been something there.

Pidge let out a yawn. Both she and Hunk looked like their eyes were heavy with exhaustion. Shit, it was coming. Everyone was going to run off to bed soon. Lance was the only one aware of the panic building up within him. He was just casually leaned against the counter, cool as a cucumber, with that glint in his eye. Hunk stood up and stretched. Here it was. Lance wasn't ready but he was about to make his move.

"Well, as educational as this has all been, I think I'm gonna pass out," Hunk said.

A string of Spanish and English curse words were running through Lance's brain on a loop. He just kept smiling though. Pidge nodded in agreement with Hunk. She rubbed at her eyes. Her glasses fell crookedly across her tiny nose.

"Yeah, I'm out," Pidge sighed. "Night guys."

He would've loved to have them stay up for a few more hours and drag this all out but Lance knew that wasn't going to happen. It was now or never. If he didn't have the balls to do this now he was never going to be ready.

He might vomit, just a little bit. He wasn't used to feeling like this. Allura had messed him up pretty badly. He and the Princess watched their companions as they shuffled out of the kitchen. Hunk was especially dragging his feet. He'd spent quite a bit of time preparing that meal tonight. Lance was hoping he'd be able to keep that food down now. Allura slipped off the counter. Her feet barely made a sound when they hit the floor.

"I think I'll be calling it a night as well," Allura said.

Lance took a deep breath on the sneak. He still felt like crapping his pants but he needed to do this. That old, grumpy, fat nanny was right.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something," Lance said.

He sounded smooth and cool as hell but that was not at all how he felt. Allura's pointed ears perked up. Her hair was sparkling like the moonlight. She looked like she was genuinely concerned too. He was trying to keep looking into her indigo eyes but it was really hard. She looked so beautiful tonight.

"What's wrong, Lance?" Allura asked.

He was just fixated on the curve of her lips as she spoke and the way her silver curls clung to her cheeks. Lance knew what he needed to say. He had to make it pretty clear. He'd gone around flirting with pretty much every female they'd ever encountered so he had to make it very apparent to Allura just how special she was to him. Lance drummed his fingers on the countertop. His heart was pounding.

"So we've known each other for a while now," Lance began.

Allura just blinked. She really had no idea, did she?

"-and I've come to realize some stuff," Lance said.

He was being much less articulate about this than he'd expected. Allura had furrowed her brow. She looked so concerned. Lance was stiff as a board. He was afraid if he moved even the slightest muscle that he'd lose his cool.

"I think you're pretty great," Lance said. "Like _really_ great."

Allura just smiled brightly. She gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"That's so sweet, Lance, you're amazing too!" Allura said.

Oh yeah, she didn't realize what was happening at all. From what Coran had told him, getting into a relationship on Altea wasn't terribly different from how it went down on Earth. Maybe she just wasn't getting it because they'd been friends for so long now. He was scared to lay it all out like this but Nayni had told him this is how it had to be. Of all the people to know how to talk to Allura, it was gonna be her.

"I mean—I think you're the _greatest_ person, like ever," Lance said.

He swallowed nervously.

"Allura, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on," Lance said. "You're the strongest person I've ever met and you've done things that I didn't think were even possible."

It was coming out easier now. He still felt like he was going to pee his pants but the words were just rolling out now.

"Yeah so I really like— care about you and I needed you to know that," Lance said.

Allura was resting her hand delicately over her chest. She looked quite shocked by his confession. His heart was racing even faster now. It looked like The Princess was blushing. She couldn't really be blushing, could she? She just kept staring at him. Her eyes were sparkling like jewels and his stomach was in knots. He just needed her to say something. He needed her to say anything.

"Lance, I-" Allura stammered.

Allura looked a bit troubled. She folded her arms across her chest. Lance felt his heart sink a little bit.

"I don't know what to say. I need to think about this- if that's okay," Allura said.

It felt like the floor beneath him had fallen away. Lance didn't know what he'd expected. He'd wanted her to just wrap her arms around him and kiss him but he knew it wasn't going to be that easy. She'd never really been very receptive to his charms. That's why this had all been so scary. He knew they cared about each other but he just didn't know if Allura cared about him the same way that he did for her.

"Yeah, it's fine," Lance said.

He still felt terrified. It was out in the open now. He didn't have to worry about it anymore. He didn't have to over analyze every little conversation he had with her. Waiting for her answer was going to be agony though. He'd ripped off the bandage now. It'd been relatively painless but he was pretty sure there still might be a possibility for a fair bit of pain. From the way she was acting, he was pretty sure she didn't feel the same way.


	15. Complicated

It hadn't taken long for Coran to take over the couch in Nayni's quarters. It had only been a few days but he'd already had brought his own red silken comforter and a ridiculous, guilded, fluffy pillow. A stack of his clothes was neatly folded in the corner of her living room. As far as she knew, he'd barely been to his quarters since the funeral plans had begun. A set of datapads was now permanently spread out across her coffee table. Things had been so chaotic around the Royal Palace that Nayni doubted anyone had actually noticed that he'd taken up residence with her for the time being.

There was a little worry nagging in the back of her head. She was fearful that someone would notice and suspect something was going on between them that actually wasn't. Part of her didn't want him to leave either. Things were still rather professional but she found herself smiling every morning when she stepped out of her bedroom and saw him snoring on her couch. He'd leave eventually. He'd have to. Unless she asked him to stay forever and with everything going on now there was even less of a chance of that happening.

Today was the day that Zarkon and Honerva were to be laid to rest. It felt surreal. Nayni had laid out her regalia and a unsophisticated pink suit on her bed. She just kept staring at them unable to decide on what would be more appropriate. She'd worn the regalia with a silken pink sash to Tomyko's funeral but that had been so much more intimate of an occasion. It wasn't Nayni's gift to know what was appropriate for what occasion. Nothing seemed appropriate for this.

Nayni scratched her head. Her hair was still damp from her shower. Her Guardsmen were on double duty today. All of them had been called in. She didn't want to take any risks. The universe was in mourning and people did drastic and crazy things when the unexpected happened. The more loyal guns she had to rely on, the better she felt about everything. They didn't need another tragedy on their hands. Nayni peeked out her bedroom door.

Coran was already dressed. He was in a simple pink suit and running a comb through his red hair. Dark circles were under his eyes. He'd been under so much stress. She wanted to take it all away. Allowing herself to be distracted by her feelings for him was absolutely not an option now. Nayni awkwardly tugged on her undershirt to make sure that it was covering as much as possible.

"Mister Smythe," Nayni said. "Could you assist me for a moment?"

Coran's gaze flickered up to meet hers. Even this exhausted he still looked completely and utterly perfect to her. He came over to her and leaned in her doorway. They both looked over the two outfits laid across her bed. He was actually smiling. It'd been a few days since she'd seen that.

"You're not wearing that suit," Coran said. "It looks like it's been sitting in your closet doing nothing but collecting dust and thread mites."

Nayni really couldn't protest this.

"That's probably because that's exactly what its been doing," Nayni sighed.

He chuckled.

"Your regalia would be good. It'll be nice to have Altean servicemen represented there too." Coran said.

She was pretty sure he was just telling her this to make her feel better about having such limited options. There were going to be plenty of uniformed Alteans paying their respects. Adding Nayni into the mix wasn't really going to boost that support very much. She reached for her sash and regalia. Coran hadn't moved. She stared at him awkwardly. They'd gotten rather casual with each other over the past few days but not to the point that she was fine with him watching her undress.

"Um-Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

Coran went rigid. His ears and cheeks flushed and he tried to mask his embarrassment with a smile.

"Right, oh, I'll just um—leave you to it," Coran said.

He always raised his voice slightly when he was ashamed of himself. He slipped out of the doorway. Once the door closed behind him Nayni started to put on her uniform. It'd been a bit of time since she'd worn her regalia. She was a tad alarmed that it felt a bit tighter around her waist than it used to. Maybe all those sweets and binge-watching hadn't been the best for her figure. She ran her fingers over the polished gold buttons. Nayni gave herself a once over in the mirror. This was as good as it was going to get.

Nayni emerged from her bedroom. Coran still seemed rather distraught. He'd been stuck in that state since the news of Zarkon had broke. His eyes flickered over her body. It made her feel rather strange. She liked it but he left her feeling so exposed.

"We should get going," Nayni said.

Her voice cracked a little but she tried to mask that.

"Just a moment," Coran said.

He crept over to her. Coran was so close that she could practically taste his cologne. His fingers ran over the silken, pink sash across her chest. He straightened it and smoothed out the wrinkles. His touch was driving her crazy. She wanted to push him away but she was living for this. Nayni looked up at him as he adjusted the collar of her regalia. His gloved fingers were brushing against the tender skin of her neck. A chill ran down her spine.

Coran took a step back and gave her the old up-down again. He smiled warmly and her heart melted.

"Now you're perfect," Coran said. "Well, you always were, this is just some extra frills and lace."

Nayni thought she was going to faint after that comment. She just tried to take in some deep breaths to smother the flood of panic and excitement. Even amidst all this death, he still felt the need to get her flustered. Nayni forced herself to scowl at him.

"Are we to continue standing about like a couple of idiots or are we getting back to work?" Nayni snapped.

There wasn't time for this nonsense anymore. There wouldn't be any time for quite a while to come now. She was being harsh, she knew that but she didn't know how to get through this any other way.

"And there is so much work to be done," Coran sighed.

He knew it too. She didn't need to remind him. Of all the people in the Palace, he was the most aware of what was to come. Nayni felt a twinge of guilt now. They'd teased each other quite a bit over the years but he didn't need that right now. She rested her thick hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle pat.

"Today will be the hardest," Nayni said. "But after this, things will slowly start getting easier until its back to normal."

Coran reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly. Zarkon's death hadn't just completely shifted the face of intergalactic society. It'd really started to blur the lines of their already complicated relationship.

"You're right, Madame Nordontu," Coran said. "It can't get much worse than this."

He smiled weakly. It was quite the mess they had to deal with but she was confident in his abilities. She was confident in King Alfor. For now, Voltron was missing its heart and soul. But Nayni suspected that the King could step into that role. Of all of the Paladins, he was the most qualified. The construction of the Lions was bound to his very bones. Once Voltron was fully restored, the universe had nothing to fear.

* * *

The Castle's alarm system started blaring. Coran and Nayni were intertwined in their bed, tangled in the blue sheets. The screech of the alarm immediately pulled Nayni from her slumber. The jolt made her start to slip out of the bed. She tried to flail her way free but the sheets had been thoroughly wrapped around the both of them. Nayni slammed into the cold, hard floor with Coran in tow. They both groaned. Coran tried to push himself up as Nayni tried to rip the sheets off of them. A devilish grin crept across his face. He looked down at her and flashed her a wink.

"Well waking up on top of you isn't the worst way to start the day," Coran said.

Nayni threw off the last of the sheets. She grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him to the ground. She pinned him to the floor and straddled him. He seemed to be enjoying that even more.

"This works too," Coran said.

The Castle alarm continued to blare. Red lights were flashing within their quarters. Nayni scrambled to her feet and started throwing on her clothes. She tossed Coran his shirt and started tugging on her tight pants. Shiro's voice boomed over the loudspeaker and drowned out the screeching of the alarm.

"All hands on deck! Keith and the Blades are in trouble!" Shiro bellowed.

Coran buttoned up his uniform with more fervor. Nayni tugged on her boots and lept to her feet. She was much better at leaping into action on a moments notice than he was. She grabbed Coran by the collar. She helped him finish buttoning up his shirt. She tugged on his shirt to make sure it was perfectly straightened out. It was remarkable how quickly the mood in the room had shifted.

By the time they were out in the hallway, the Paladins were already running to their Lions, fully clad in their armor. Coran grabbed Nayni by the hand and lead her down the hallway. She could hardly keep up with him. Her boots kept slipping on the slick surface of the floor. Everyone knew where they were supposed to go but it still felt like total chaos to Nayni. She was going to have to help Coran with the Castle defenses again. She hadn't gotten in much more practice either so she was terrified.

When they reached the bridge, Nayni was gasping for air. Sweat was rolling down the back of her neck. Shiro popped on his helmet as Coran leaped for the main control panel. Nayni could hear the sounds of laser fire and explosions coming over the transmitter. Coran was frantically typing into the console to lock on to Keith's coordinates.

"Guys, guys!" Keith shouted over the radio.

There was the sound of an explosion and he grunted.

"I need you here, like right now!" Keith pleaded.

Shiro sprinted off of the bridge. The Black Paladin was gone in a blur. The monitor projection in front of Coran began to flash with red.

"We're locked onto your coordinates, Keith, just hang in there," Coran said.

Nayni braced herself on the control panel. Her hands moved over the console as she prepped the Castle's weapons systems. She was so focused on getting things set up that she hardly had the opportunity to feel any anxiety.

"Allura! We're ready to wormhole!" Coran said over the intercom.

"I'm on it!" Allura responded.

The Castle hummed. The sound slowly grew louder as the Teludav powered up. Nayni glanced over her shoulder to Coran nervously.

"Try not to vomit this time, my dear," Coran said.

Nayni gritted her teeth. She watched the undulating purple surface of the portal erupt in the abyss of space. The Castle rumbled as it plummeted towards the wormhole's opening. No matter how many times she'd been through, it was still dreadful. The Castle dove into the portal, violet lightning shot out from the tunnel walls and licked the sleek white surface of the Castle's hull. Nayni felt like her organs had been removed from her body and shoved back in the wrong way. She clung to the control panel as they passed through the other end of the wormhole.

They exploded onto the battlefield. The Blade of Marmora fighters were swirling around the asteroid field as they dodged the cascade of red laser fire. The five Lions launched onto the scene. Their colorful streaks trailed behind them as they weaved through the battle. Nayni and Coran were frozen as they looked at the scene before them. Nayni had to cover her mouth to try and hold in her vomit. She couldn't believe what they were seeing.

It looked like the Castle. It looked _just like_ the Castle but something was off. Its particle barrier was a shade of crimson and the swarm of defense drones that were streaming from it looked foreign. The towering obsidian vessel was creeping out of a massive rift. It was surrounded by crackling violet lighting and a cloud of glittering debris. The light pouring from the rift was blinding. It wasn't possible. None of this was possible.

"Is everybody else seeing the same thing?" Hunk said over the transmitter.

A stray round of red laser fire flew towards them and Nayni barely deployed the Castle's particle barrier in time. A purple and orange fighter swooped across their field of view. It expertly wove between the laser fire with the grace of a dancer. A chill ran down Nayni's back when that familiar voice crackled over the radio.

"Now probably isn't the best time to discuss this," Lotor said over the transmitter.

The Other Castle fired off its main cannon and the massive red beam slammed into their particle barrier. A slew of alarms went off on Coran's monitor. Nayni was typing into the control panel frantically. She was firing off everything that she could. She thought of the footage that Keith had sent them. The smoldering remains of the Galra fleet hadn't been defeated by Lotor. They'd been taken out by whatever this vessel before them was. She was shaken to the core. Everything about this felt so wrong.

She wasn't the only one that was frozen in shock. The Paladins flew around the chaos, simply dodging the attacks before they finally came together again. She watched the Lions soar upward in formation. The explosion of light and color flashed like a beacon in the heat of the battle and Voltron was before them once again. Nayni watched the superweapon dive for a cluster of the enemy drones. Voltron sliced through them with its sword as if they were made of paper. A string of small explosions spread out across the battlefield.

The Other Castle focused all of its fire on Voltron. The robot's green arm lifted up the massive shield. The red lasers slammed into the shield, sparks bounced in every direction and Voltron was pushed back into an asteroid. Nayni let out a gasp. Her chest tightened with fear. The Other Castle was powering up its main cannon again. The red glow grew brighter and brighter with every tik that went by. Voltron flew out of the path of the laser just in time. The beam sliced through the asteroid and left a cloud of dust in its wake.

Lotor's ship wove through the asteroid field. He fired off his cannons and the massive rounds slammed into the Other Castle's red barrier. They did nothing. The Blades ships barely dodged another round of laser fire from the enemy vessel. Every attack they went for barely put a dent in the Other Castle's barrier. Voltron had made quick work of the defense drones but more of them just poured out onto the field. Another fighter entered the fray. It looked like it was constructed in a fashion similar to that of the Other Castle but it was attacking their forces. It couldn't have been one of their allies. That fighter was trying to help Voltron.

The transmission module crackled. Nayni could barely understand what anyone was saying. They must've been jamming their communications. She could barely make out Shiro's voice as he pleaded over the radio waves.

"Guys, we need to get out of here. They're just going to keep on coming," Shiro said.

His voice was barely audible over the static. The radio chatter was flooded with broken up voices. Nayni was trying to smother the panic rising within her. When they'd fought the Galra, they could still talk to each other. They were against an enemy they were familiar with. This was something else. This was something completely beyond their understanding. Nayni could hear Allura's voice trying to break through the radio interference. Another voice that was oddly familiar came through instead.

"I'll distract them! Lotor and the rest of you lot, just get out of here!"

Nayni knew that voice. She knew she'd heard that voice before but it couldn't be real. It sounded too different. It couldn't be what she thought it was. Coran started typing coordinates into the main control panel. They didn't know for sure but it seemed that another Teludave jump was inevitable. Nayni tried to lay down covering fire for their comrades. Coran slammed his hand on the transmit button, their ears were assaulted with a loud crackling static.

"Princess! We're ready to make the jump!" Coran shouted.

He looked to Nayni, his eyes were full of terror. They had no way of knowing if they could hear them. Nayni was shaking. More shots from the Other Castle slammed into their barrier. Nayni braced herself on the control panel as the Castle shook. Allura's voice kept crackling over the speakers.

"I can't-" Allura said.

A fresh wave of static muffled her words.

"-something's wrong."

This wasn't happening. Nayni watched Voltron block another round of laser fire with its shield. How much longer could they hold out? She whirled around, a loose strand of brown hair fell in her face. She couldn't watch this. She felt like she was drowning.

"Coran we have to do something!" Nayni cried. "That's _our_ girl out there!"

The Castle shook again as it endured another assault. The warning lights for the particle barrier started going off on Nayni's control panel. They wouldn't be able to take much more of this. The radio chatter was full of the sounds of desperate screams and pleas for a reply. Sweat was running down the bridge of Coran's nose. His eyes were darting all over his main monitor.

"Maybe I can power the jump," Coran stammered.

Not many Alteans were capable of powering the Teludav and, as far as Nayni knew, he'd never done it. Another blast slammed into their particle barrier. The blue dome encompassing the Castle started to flicker. They were running out of time.

"Are you certain?" Nayni pressed.

This was incredibly dangerous. Allura was a powerful Altean Alchemist and she'd been born to do this. Coran nodded but he didn't seem entirely sure of himself.

"I watched my great-grandfather build this vessel," Coran said. "It's in my blood."

That was true but Nayni was still crippled with fear. This could kill him. But if they didn't try something she would lose all of them.

"If you end up dead, Mister Smythe, I will bring you back to life so I can punch you in the face," Nayni said.

Coran flashed her his silver grin. She couldn't help but smile too. Coran opened up the communication channels again.

"Get ready to wormhole," Coran said. "I'm going to open up the portal."

Nayni clenched onto the corners of her control panel. They were only met with the sound of more static and broken up chatter. She watched the Marmora fighters pull back. Lotor's ship hung close to Voltron and the rest of their forces. Her heart was pounding so ferociously she thought it was going to give out. Coran held out his hands and the two control pillars rose out of the floor. He looked at Nayni nervously. He tried to give her a comforting smile but it had no effect on her.

"You might have to pilot us through to the other side," Coran said.

He was trying to sound calm but she could detect a twinge of fear in his voice.

"-that's only if I pass out," Coran said.

They were definitely going to die if Nayni had to pilot the Castle for even a few tiks. She just nodded. She was afraid if she opened her mouth that she'd try to stop him. Red laser fire rained down around them. Coran closed his eyes. His brow was furrowed in concentration. That familiar aquamarine light radiated from him. The Castle shook and bucked. Coran's knees started to tremble. He clung to the pillars as sweat rolled down the side of his face. The Castle jerked forward and the Teludav fired off. The violet portal opened up before them. Coran braced himself on the pillars.

Nayni watched their comrades dive into the wormhole. Coran's face had gone pale as he steered the Castle into the portal. His limbs were trembling. The Castle jerked and swayed as they tumbled through the portal. They toppled through to the other side. Violet lightning crackled as the portal closed behind them. Voltron and their allies hovered around them.

Coran collapsed on the ground. Nayni felt like her heart was being torn right from her chest. She stumbled as she ran over to him. He was crumpled on the floor. He looked like an injured little bird. The tears were already pouring down her olive cheeks. She was shaking so much she could barely pull his head into her lap. His skin was so pale and he felt cold to the touch. Nayni cradled him in her arms.

"Coran, please-Coran," Nayni stammered.

It was taking all of her will not to completely fall apart. She ripped off her gloves and ran her finger along his neck. She could feel his pulse. Barely. She clung to him desperately. He felt so limp in her arms. He'd done it. He'd saved them. She pushed back a red curl from his damp forehead.

Dozens of warnings were flashing across the main interface. The alarms were echoing throughout the Castle. She didn't know what to do about any of that. Nayni could hear the sound of the Paladins voices coming over the transmitter. They were arguing with Keith and Lotor. The debate was growing more and more heated with every tik that passed. She couldn't focus on their words. She just kept staring at Coran's face.

His lips were barely parted. His clothes and his hair were drenched with sweat. Nayni's hand trembled as she ran her fingers through his hair. She kept kissing him on the forehead. His cold, salty sweat was clinging to her lips. She was trying to hold back the sobs that were struggling to escape. It was a losing battle. Allura let out a frustrated growl over the radio waves.

"Everyone just shut up!" Allura snapped.

The transmitter fell silent. Nayni stared at the main control panel. They'd made it. They had that at least. Nayni's heart skipped a beat when she felt Coran lightly touch at her arm. She couldn't help but let out a weak chuckle when she looked back at him. His eyes were barely open but he seemed to be beaming. Nayni cupped his face in her hands and she smiled through the tears.

"I-I did it," Coran said weakly. "They're okay."

Nayni pulled him closer. She smothered him with kisses. He wasn't in the state to fight her off. Allura's voice came over the transmitter again.

"Nanny, how's everything on the Castle?" Allura asked.

Even over the transmission module, Nayni could hear the fear in the Princess's voice. Nayni reached for the transmit button. Her hand was still shaking so hard she could barely tell it what to do.

"He's fine," Nayni said. "He just needs rest."

Coran tried to sit up. Nayni pressed a hand to his chest and made him lay back down in her lap. They were safe for now and he was all that mattered to her in this moment.

"Well well well," Lotor said. "Sounds like you did find something on that Ark, Paladins."

The radio channels erupted with arguing again. It all just sounded like white noise to Nayni now. It went on for a few more dobashes before Keith erupted with anger. He yelled so loudly that the speakers let out a screech.

"None of this matters! We need to figure out what the hell we just saw back there!" Keith seethed.

He was right. That strange fear crept back up in Nayni. What they had seen felt so wrong. It felt so foreign and unknown but what was truly unsettling about it all was just how familiar it was too. The resemblance that vessel had to the Castle was chilling. But the energy that radiated off of it felt like pure evil. It had all unfolded so quickly that Nayni wasn't even sure what she'd actually seen anymore. Coran's head lulled to the side in her lap. He drifted out of consciousness again.

She needed to get him to bed and she wasn't going to let anything tear her from his side until he was back on his feet again. The transmitter crackled again, it was Shiro's calm voice that came over the speakers this time.

"Okay, okay, lets all just meet up on the Castle and discuss this," Shiro said. "Can we trust you to behave yourself, Lotor?"

The Galra prince laughed softly over the radio.

"Considering that we were just shooting at the same people, I think you can," Lotor said.

Nayni tried to heft Coran up. She wasn't as strong as she used to be but she was able to pick him up after a great deal of effort. All of their cautions had been thrown to the wind now. They were letting an enemy aboard their ship but after the battle they'd just seen, Nayni wasn't certain if the idea was entirely that crazy anymore. Whatever they'd just faced in that asteroid field was dangerous. It had destroyed an entire Galra fleet and they had barely escaped from its warpath. They were going to need allies wherever they could find them.

* * *

Coran's chest rose and fell slowly with each breath he took. He was still out cold. The color had started to return to his face. Nayni hadn't budged from his bedside. She knew the Paladins had returned with Lotor and Keith in tow but she hadn't set foot outside of their quarters. She'd just been staring at Coran as he lay in their bed for vargas. Seeing him on the brink like this had shaken her. She knew what was at stake. They were at war but things had taken a turn so quickly. One moment they'd been dancing around the Holodeck like a couple of lovesick fools and now they'd just barely escaped from a savage battle.

She cradled his hand in hers. Nayni ran her fingers along the curve of his knuckles. He'd done something remarkable out there. Coran had saved all of their lives and it had nearly cost him everything. She was still in a state of shock. She'd spent years trying to stave off this fear but it had been such a pointless struggle. Even if they'd never gotten together, Nayni still would've been terrified after all of this. She still would've been sobbing like a child at the thought of losing him. There was no undoing the years of repression and silence now though.

She brushed her fingers along his forehead. He didn't feel nearly as clammy anymore. The door to their quarters slid open. Nayni's ears twitched nervously as she looked at the door. In her haste to get him into bed, she'd forgotten to engage the locking mechanism. She relaxed when she saw the Princess enter. She was still clad in her pink and white armor. Allura looked exhausted. Her expression was very grim. The Princess rested a hand on Nayni's shoulder.

"How is he?" Allura asked.

She spoke so softly. Nayni glanced at her lover's face. He looked much more peaceful now than he had earlier.

"He seems a lot better," Nayni said. "Though I'm rather cross with him about all of this so he'll be receiving a good scolding when he comes to."

Allura chuckled weakly. Nayni patted Allura's hand gently. The two most precious people in the universe were still standing. That's what mattered most to Nayni. Allura let out a sigh. Nayni knew she probably needed to discuss these events with them.

"Lotor's in the brig for now," Allura said.

The Princess was hesitating.

"There's something we need to show you," Allura said.

Nayni didn't want to leave Coran but by the look on the Princess's face, she knew it was urgent. The Princess wouldn't try to tear her away from him over nothing. Nayni stared at Coran. She longed for him to sit up and flash her that smile but that wouldn't be happening for some vargas now.

"It can't wait?" Nayni asked.

Allura shook her head. Nayni sighed. She planted a kiss on Coran's hand and tucked it back over his chest. She was dragging her feet as she followed Allura down the hall. Every step she took away from Coran felt like agony. She felt so vulnerable without him. She kept glancing over her shoulder as if he was going to come running down the hallway after them.

Allura was tense. Her posture was rigid and she could barely look Nayni in the eye. There was more going on. This was so much more than the stress that followed a battle. Nayni could feel it in her gut. She tugged on Allura's arm before they stepped onto the elevator. Nayni's eyes narrowed. Her hand was trembling and she could do nothing to stop it.

"Lurie, what am I walking into?" Nayni pressed.

Allura's indigo eyes darted all around them. She couldn't look at Nayni. Allura let out a sigh. Her purple earrings swayed as she shook her head.

"I just need you to confirm something," Allura said. "Keith will explain more on the bridge."

She didn't like that the Princess wasn't giving her a straight answer but Nayni was too exhausted to press the matter further. She would simply have to do her duty. The sooner this issue was addressed, the sooner she could return to Coran's side. The atmosphere only became tenser as they approached the bridge. Allura was growing increasingly nervous. How much worse could things possibly get? They were dealing with an unknown enemy so anything else was just going to be an added nuisance.

When they arrived on the bridge, it became that much more apparent to Nayni just how much pressure they were under. All eyes were on Allura and Nayni. The other Paladins and Keith just stared at the two of them. She didn't like the way their gaze was boring right through her. She couldn't read the emotions on their faces. The air was just thick with distress. Whatever they were about to show her was bad. Allura slipped her hand in Nayni's and squeezed it tightly. Nayni's eyes darted between Allura and the Paladins.

Keith folded his arms across his chest. He was chewing on his bottom lip nervously. He let out a sigh before he spoke. He sounded as if he'd been forced into this.

"I was drawn to that sector because we came upon a distress beacon," Keith explained.

He looked to Allura. The Princess just nodded her head. Nayni didn't like the way Allura was looking at her. She was looking at her bodyguard as if she were a child with a skinned knee. It was a role reversal that she wasn't comfortable with.

"Allura thinks you might—well-I'll just show you," Keith stammered.

He typed into the main control panel. Nayni felt sick. It felt like bile was creeping up the back of her throat. As soon as she'd stepped into this room, she knew something was very wrong. A garbled video feed appeared on the main interface. There was so much static interference that it was hard to see much. It looked vaguely like the interior of a fighter. The lights were dim and red. Nayni couldn't quite make out the figure that sat in the midst of all the static. As soon as the audio began, Nayni's blood turned to ice.

She thought she'd recognized it during the battle. It was that mysterious fighter pilot that she'd heard over the radio. And she'd been right. Nayni had stagnated. Allura gripped onto her hand so tightly that Nayni's bones could've snapped. The image on the screen continued to flicker and distort from the static as it spoke.

"-calling any available vessels. I've recovered a prisoner from the Queen's Capital Ship. Please, if anyone's out there come to my coordinates immediately. Your reality is in danger."

Nayni's head started to spin. She felt like the world was slowly starting to turn black.

"They're coming. They've taken over our universe and now they're coming for yours. Please, if anyone's listening-"

The static on the screen had started to clear but Nayni didn't need to see their face to know who was there. Nayni fell to her knees.

"This is Captain Tomyko Nordontu, a traitor to the Altean Empire, and an ally to whoever is willing to help me stop them."

Nayni collapsed.


	16. PS I'm Still Not Over You

Nayni's head was still throbbing. She'd cracked her head on the floor of the bridge when she'd passed out. The pain wasn't going to stop her though. No one was stopping her. A thousand questions were swirling around in her head. Tomyko was dead. She'd been dead for so many years. It couldn't really be her in that footage. It sounded like her voice and it looked like her. But something felt off. Shiro and Allura had tried to get Nayni back to her quarters but she'd refused. She was marching straight for the brig. She would not rest until she'd gotten her answers from that slippery Galra Prince.

She hadn't been exactly sure where the brig was though so the Paladins ended up having to escort her. They roared down the halls, their footfalls echoing like thunder off of the walls. The lower levels of the Castle weren't as well lit as the rest of the vessel. Her rage and confusion kept building upon itself. The Paladins had told her that they'd encountered an alternate reality before but she still couldn't believe this. Why would these forces converge now? Why would Tomyko be a part of all of this? It was all too perfectly timed to be real. It had to be a trick.

They came upon Lotor's cell. The Prince was calmly sitting on a bench. The blue light of the cell barrier cast an eerie glow on his lavender skin and silver hair. He seemed far too calm. Nayni was vibrating with the rage that was coursing through her veins. She would kill him if it was necessary. Nayni crept right up to the barrier. The tip of her button nose was inches away from touching the electrified surface. Her nostrils were flared and she was fuming.

Lotor just smiled. She wanted to punch that slick little bunghopper in the face. His mane of silver hair swayed about him as he got to his feet. He barely made a sound as he moved.

"You're much shorter than I was expecting," Lotor teased.

Nayni slammed a fist into the barrier. Blue sparks jettisoned off of the barrier and it flickered. The shock rushed through her fist and she let out a growl.

"Shut the quiznack up!" Nayni snapped. "I'll kill you right where you stand."

Lotor just laughed at her. Allura pulled Nayni back. She rubbed the Guard Captin's shoulders in a vain attempt to soothe her.

"Nanny, please, you're going to hurt yourself. You must calm down," Allura cooed.

Nayni yanked herself from Allura's grasp. She paced along the barrier like a beast trapped in a cage.

"You're going to answer my questions. _Every. Single. One_ ," Nayni seethed. "And if I even suspect for a tik that you're lying, I'm throwing you out the airlock."

Lotor just rolled his eyes.

"No need to make threats. I could've escaped by now if I truly wanted to," Lotor said. "I'll tell you whatever you like-though it'd be nice to get out of this cell afterwards."

Nayni clenched her jaw. If Allura wasn't standing right next to her, she'd already be in that cell beating him bloody. This was his filthy trick. Only he would be willing to stoop as low as this. Nayni didn't know how he'd found out about Tomyko but somehow he had. He was trying to exploit her greatest weakness. Shiro came forward. The expression on his face was stern. He could be rather intimidating without much effort.

"We'll talk about that later," Shiro said. "Right now, _we all_ have quite a few questions."

Oh, Nayni had quite a few words for this young man. Quite a few. Nayni cracked her neck.

"Why play a trick like this? What do you have to gain?" Nayni snapped.

Lotor threw his head back and laughed. Nayni clenched her fists. It was taking a great deal of restraint to stop herself from throttling him.

"You think it's a trick? You think I spent weeks locked up in a prison just so I could trick you all?" Lotor said. "No, I assure you this is all very real."

Nayni started to tremble. He wasn't lying. She hated him with such passion already but the look in his eye was sincere. Shiro reached forward and tried to push Nayni back away from the barrier. His cybernetic arm was strong enough that she couldn't really fight him.

"They captured you? When?" Shiro pressed.

Lotor flexed his fingers. His golden eyes flickered over their faces.

"I was trying to help you take Terrapin," Lotor explained. "It didn't exactly go as planned, though, I don't think I could've seen any of that coming."

They all were hanging on every word that slipped forth from his lips.

"It just looked like a Teludav jump at first, I honestly thought it was you," Lotor went on. "But as you saw, that Castle is nothing like yours. They left no survivors, except for me of course. Apparently, my counterpart from their reality also has quite a bounty on his head."

 _Their_ reality. He said it so matter of factly. It was as if it was a casual conversation about a change in the weather. Lotor folded his hands behind his back.

"They didn't particularly care that I wasn't the same Lotor," he said. "You'd find their leadership to be rather-familiar."

He flashed Nayni a silver smirk. She wrinkled her nose.

"I believe the Princess's counterpart is their Queen. It's hard to tell, ten thousand years haven't been nearly as kind to her as they have to you," Lotor said. "Your Royal Advisor was there too."

This sent a chill down Nayni's spine. Somehow, Lotor noticed the shift in her mood. His eyes flickered over to her and he smiled.

"Tomyko explained quite a bit to me about their reality," Lotor said.

Hearing her name being uttered by his sinister voice filled Nayni with disgust.

"They killed her wife long ago and ever since then she's had it in for the two of them," Lotor said.

Allura reached for Nayni's hand. If Tomyko had still married Nayni in this other world, she now knew she was dead there. But there was no way of really knowing that yet. It all sounded so different that the possibilities were limitless.

"The Queen and her Advisor have had their fill of their universe," Lotor went on. "They're hungry for more. They never constructed a Voltron. Instead, they've built a Castle that's capable of traversing between realities. And they've set their sights on conquering ours."

They'd been worried about enemies from within their own realm when something else was hiding in the darkness the whole time. Zarkon was a formidable enough enemy on his own. They didn't need another player stepping into the fray. Hunk was just staring wide-eyed at the floor, shaking his head back and forth.

"This is all so crazy," Hunk said. "We don't honestly believe all this do we?"

Nayni still had her doubts but she couldn't deny what they'd seen. They'd all seen that black, twisted version of the Castle and they'd all seen Tomyko's distress beacon. Pidge was stroking her chin. She seemed to be the only one that was perfectly calm.

"It's not that crazy. We've been to another reality, Hunk. Theoretically, there's just an infinite set of realities and possibilities. If we have the tech to travel through those rifts, it's not impossible for another reality to have come up with something similar," Pidge explained.

Lotor appeared to be deeply satisfied with the Green Paladin's response. Nayni didn't want this to be real. It was too much. It was all too confusing. She started to feel sick again. Lotor leaned against the cold wall of his cell.

"It doesn't matter if you believe me or not," Lotor said. "They're coming and I don't know about you but I rather not deal with them _and_ my father's entire army."

As slimy and revolting as the Galra Prince was, Nayni had to agree with him. But after what they'd witnessed, where would they even begin? They had Voltron. That was one asset that their enemy didn't possess. It might just be what saves them. Lance cocked his head to the side. He kept staring at Nayni awkwardly.

"So—we have to fight an evil version of Coran and Allura and our only ally is another version of Nanny's dead wife-who hates them," Lance said. " _That won't be weird at all_."

No one found his sarcasm very amusing at the moment. Nayni was starting to feel dizzy again. She'd wanted these answers so desperately but now they were too much. It had been one thing to hear the stories the Paladins had told her but having it right in front of her face was overwhelming. This wasn't a trick. This was real. Lotor narrowed his golden eyes.

"I suggest we get in touch with Tomyko—if she's even still alive," Lotor said.

* * *

Allura had been rather aloof after Zarkon and Honerva's funeral. The Princess had been quick to remove the pink streaks from her hair and it seemed that her morbid fixation on the color had passed. She'd just been unusually quiet. Allura hadn't been sassing Nayni nearly as much as she was used to. Nayni didn't want to push her. She knew something had been troubling Allura but she knew if the Princess really needed to address something she'd come to her. The current state of things was so delicate. Coran still hadn't left his spot on her couch, though Nayni rarely saw him anymore. His schedule had only grown more hectic.

Allura had decided to study out in the Royal Gardens. The young Princess was curled up under a great tree, her nose buried in a datapad. She was nibbling nervously on the nail of her thumb. The twisted mass of ebony branches created a canopy that enveloped the two of them. The lavender leaves rustled in the wind and drifted slowly to the ground. A thin layer of the fallen leaves carpeted the green grass beneath them. Nayni toyed with one of the fallen leaves between her fingers. They hadn't been out much since the funeral. It was a nice change of pace to get some fresh air.

Allura rested her datapad on the ground. She looked up at the canopy above her. Her brows were furrowed. Nayni had noticed that the Princes had been having trouble concentrating on anything for terribly long. Her mind seemed to be wondering off quite a bit lately. Allura let out a sigh, it was something she'd been doing more and more. It always sounded so angsty. Her large indigo eyes fluttered over to Nayni. She seemed to be pleading for some kind of attention. Nayni attempted to flick the small leaf at Allura but her aim was off. It just fluttered to the ground.

That didn't even draw a giggle from Allura. The Princess sighed again and nestled her face in her slender brown hands. She ran her fingers through her silver hair. The Princess hesitated for a moment. Her face was still partially buried in the crook of her elbow when she spoke.

"You never met my mother did you, Nanny?" Allura asked.

Nayni went rigid. It had been so rarely that they'd discussed the Queen and the topic hadn't come up for many years. Nayni shook her head.

"I only ever saw her on the newsfeeds, unfortunately," Nayni said.

She'd been a rather low ranking Guardsmen when she'd nabbed this promotion. She'd barely even seen the King in person. It had been a bit of a scandal when she'd gotten the job. Allura leaned forward. She was toying with the hem of her sleeves.

"I barely remember her at all," Allura said. "I don't even remember what if felt like when she passed away but I still miss her."

Nayni could've told her that. She'd seen how Allura looked at other children growing up. That sense of longing and jealousy was always hiding behind her little eyes when she watched them run around with their mothers.

"I don't think anyone truly heals after a loss like that," Nayni said.

She was speaking from experience. So many years had crept by since she'd lost Tomyko but her wife still haunted her. Sometimes it was huge gaps of time that would pass by before the pain would return but it always did. It was numb and dull but the ache always came back. Allura furrowed her brow.

"Do you still miss your wife?" Allura asked.

Nayni felt like her throat was closing up. This had never ever been brought up. She hadn't even been aware that Allura knew. Maybe it'd come up during a private talk with the girl's father but it hadn't been Nayni who'd revealed that to her. Allura was clearly nervous to pose this question. Nayni knelt down by the Princess. She draped an arm around her slender ward.

"Yes, I do," Nayni said.

She wasn't sure what else there was to say. This was a topic that required honesty and a fair bit of tenderness.

"Father still misses mother too, I think," Allura said.

She seemed to be struggling to try and sort out her feelings. Allura scratched at the bridge of her nose. A stray lavender leaf fluttered down from the tree and landed quietly in her hair.

"It's only natural to feel that way," Nayni said.

She plucked the leaf from Allura's hair and tossed it aside.

"I understand that part," Allura said. "But I never _knew_ her. You knew your wife, father knew mother. You both miss them. But why do I miss mother? I can't remember the sound of her voice. If I didn't have any pictures of her, I wouldn't even remember her face."

Allura had dealt with death in her early life but the funeral must've shaken her. Seeing it face to face again for the first time must've been harsh. It was the only reason Nayni could think of for this conversation to be coming up.

"It's still the same feeling I have," Nayni cooed. "You think about all the things you'll never do with them. You think about all the things you would've wanted them to be there for. It doesn't matter how well you knew her, Lurie, its the missed opportunities that hurt the most."

She stroked Allura's hair gingerly. Allura was definitely sad but it was a deep old sadness. The girl didn't look as if she was going to cry.

"But we all just keep going," Allura said. "The world just keeps moving forward."

Nayni felt like she hadn't done very much moving forward. She should've been beyond those old fears but she just kept piling on new ones to strengthen them. Nayni was a prisoner to them. She'd been well aware of that for years now.

"If the mechanisms of the universe stopped turning for every pain we've experienced than there'd be no life at all," Nayni said. "We learn something from loss. It helps us grow stronger and helps us survive."

She felt like such a hypocrite. Her mother had said these words to her when Nayni first lost Tomyko. She should've heeded them.

"What did we learn from Zarkon? Or Honerva?" Allura asked.

Nayni gave Allura a gentle pat on the shoulder. She didn't quite have an answer for that one. She was starting to find that she didn't have answers to a lot of Allura's questions anymore.

"That has yet to reveal itself," Nayni said. "It'll become more clear with time."

Allura didn't seem very satisfied with Nayni's response but she had nothing else to give her. She couldn't lie to Allura about matters of this nature. She felt it was wrong on a spiritual level. Allura nibbled on her thumbnail again. If she kept it up there'd be nothing left for her to nibble on.

"It's just scary," Allura said. "A whole planet is gone. I just keep thinking about how that could've been Altea. It could've been us so easily. Why did it happen to the Galra and not us?"

Nayni rubbed Allura's back. That thought pattern was a slippery slope. It had come across Nayni's mind. It had been something she feared even before when it seemed so unreasonable and crazy. Allura didn't need to waste any more energy on that though. She already had enough on her plate being a Princess.

"Don't get caught up in all of that," Nayni said. "It will drive you mad if you let those ideas run wild. Things just happen. There may not always be a reason. Awful things and good things. _They just happen._ There's no stopping them. You can't spend your whole life fretting about them."

Nayni really felt like a hypocrite now. She'd spent a huge chunk of her life fretting over the different possible outcomes of every decision she'd made. She'd mostly fixated on the awful possibilities. She never really thought about the good. Allura was the only thing that really gave her hope for the future. Nayni hopped to her feet and extended her hand out to Allura. The Princess braced herself on Nayni as she got to her feet.

"I think after all this grim talk you're in need of a sweet icicle," Nayni teased.

Allura was trying to fight off a smile but it wasn't working out very well. She twirled her skirt around coyly as she mulled it over.

"I suppose that would be nice," Allura said.

It would be nice for them to share this again. It'd been quite a while. Allura had been far too caught up in trying to be a grown Altean woman to waste her time with such childish delights anymore. Nayni gave Allura a firm pat on the back and smiled.

"It'll be all right, Lurie," Nayni said. "No matter what happens, things will work themselves out."

Allura scooped up her datapad from the grass and nodded. She seemed to be feeling a bit more chipper after their chat. It was a beautiful sight to behold. There was only one other smile that Nayni cherished as much as Allura's but she would never speak his name aloud and especially not to Allura.

* * *

Coran had finally stirred by the time Nayni returned to their quarters. She was glad of it. She still didn't know what to feel. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel about all of this. She'd just been drawn back to him. She'd been so blinded by anger and fear earlier. Now that same fear had pulled her back to him. Nayni nearly lost it when she saw him. She'd managed to hold herself together in front of Allura and the Paladins but she just couldn't in front of him. He had no idea.

Coran sat in his bed. He was slowly flexing his fingers. He still seemed to be drained from the Teludav jump. When he smiled at her she thought her knees were going to give in. His expression fell. Was it really that obvious that she was falling apart? She didn't even know where to begin. She just needed to tell him. She had to unload the storm of emotions inside of her. Nayni's bottom lip trembled. Her eyes were already starting to well up with tears. Coran started for her.

Nayni ran to him. She couldn't let him get out of bed. He was still too weak. She engulfed Coran in her arms and buried her face in his chest. She couldn't bear to look at the photo of her and Tomyko that was propped up on his shelf. Nayni felt his hands running along the curve of her back. Nayni's body wracked with every sob.

"It's okay, Nayni, I'm fine," Coran said.

They had that to hang onto. It was all she had to hang onto right now. Nothing else made any sense right now. She clung to him like a child. She just couldn't keep herself together long enough for the words to come. She sobbed because she was confused. She sobbed because she didn't know how to feel. It felt like she was being torn in half. Anger, fear, and sorrow were all fighting within her. Coran stroked her hair. His mustache brushed along her olive skin as he planted a tender kiss on her forehead.

"It's all right," Coran cooed. "It's all right now."

It wasn't possible for her to cling to him more tightly. She could've waited for one of the others to debrief him but it wouldn't have been right. It had to be her. She had to face this with him. Nayni pulled away. She wiped the tears and snot away from her face.

" _You're_ all right," Nayni said.

Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"You're all right but we are up against something I can't even begin to understand," Nayni said.

Coran pulled her back against him. Her nose was filled with the scent of his dried sweat.

"What's happened?" Coran asked.

His tone was so gentle. She could feel his long, slender fingers weaving through the strands of her brown hair. It had only been a few vargas ago that she had been cradling him like this.

"That vessel we battled-" Nayni began.

Tomyko's face seemed to be permanently imprinted in her mind.

"It's not _from here_." Nayni

She took in a deep breath. She needed to calm down if she was going to explain this to him. She looked up at him. His brow was furrowed. His unkempt hair was sticking out in odd directions.

"Lotor said they're from another reality," Nayni stammered.

She knew it was possible. The Paladins knew this was possible. But it still was so absurd. Never in her entire life had she imagined she'd be witnessing something like this. But she'd never imagined that she'd be reunited with Mister Smythe either. Coran didn't seem as shaken by the news as she was.

"Well, that wouldn't be the first time we'd seen something like that," Coran said.

What would he have to say when he found out the rest? She was worried. She was terrified.

"Tomyko helped Lotor-" Nayni started.

Coran's eyes widened. He didn't look scared. He just seemed surprised.

"Not _my_ Tomyko." Nayni went on. "I know it's not _my_ Tomyko but-"

She couldn't stop shaking. Nayni had seen a ghost. She'd expected to go the rest of her life never seeing that gorgeous woman ever again. She'd finally moved on. She'd finally let go of the weight left behind from Tomyko's death. Now she was back. It didn't matter that it wasn't really her. It felt so wrong and unnatural.

"It's _not_ my Tomyko," Nayni repeated.

She'd have to keep reminding herself. She was so afraid. Nayni didn't know what she'd do if she had to face this Tomyko in person. She was already feeling overwhelmed with guilt. It was nonsense. It didn't make any sense at all but she still felt it. The real Tomyko, _her_ Tomyko, wouldn't want her to feel any guilt. She'd have wanted Nayni to have set herself free years ago. Coran cradled her in his arms. He nuzzled his face into her brown hair.

"It's okay," Coran said.

She could feel the soft rhythm of his breathing on her ear.

"It's okay to feel scared," Coran said. "I'm not going anywhere, Nayni. We'll get through this. We've made it this far, I'm not letting you go at this alone."

She clung to his shirt as a fresh wave of sobs ran over her.

"I'm always going to be here," Coran cooed. "No matter what happens, I'll be here for you."

Coran laid her down in their bed gingerly. She curled up on her side. Coran wrapped his lanky arms around her. She could feel him pressed against her back. Their bodies fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. He reached over her and wiped away the tears from her plump cheeks.

"I love you so much," Nayni sobbed.

She needed him to know. She wasn't going to allow some ghost to steal her away from him. He brushed his fingers along the curve of her face.

"I never doubted it," Coran cooed.

Nayni rolled over. She grabbed him by the neck and pressed her lips to his. It was a sloppy and desperate kiss. She'd smeared a good portion of snot and tears on his face. He didn't seem to mind terribly. The smile on his face made her feel as if her heart was going to burst. There was no fear in his violet eyes. There wasn't a shred of doubt. He was all ready to dive back into the fight again.

"Now if she tries to put the moves on you-we might have to have an old-fashioned duel for your hand," Coran teased.

He was such an idiot but it made her laugh. She kept trying to wipe her snot away on her sleeve even though she'd lost that battle quite a bit ago. She was starting to smile through the tears. He wouldn't have to fight for her affection. Though she was willing to fight tooth and nail for his. Nayni cupped his face in her hands as she giggled like an idiot.

"I'm not going anywhere, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

Coran just smirked.

"Sounds like we might be making a trip to another reality, so we will, in fact, be going somewhere," Coran said.

The forces of the universe had already brought them back together after ten thousand years. They'd already beaten all the odds. As crazy as this turn of events had been, as much as it terrified her, she felt like they could make it through now. As long as she could hold onto him at night, they could do this. They could keep this family together as long as they had each other. His expression softened. She felt so warm and safe in his arms again.

"I love you, Nayni," Coran said.

She felt her bottom lip trembling again. She'd fought so hard and waited so long to hear him say that. She'd been so scared and desperate to be with him. They'd conquered that. She'd finally overcome that fear and it had seemed so impossible to her for so long. He was right. They'd made it this far. Nothing was going to stop them now.


	17. Come To My Window

Seeing Lotor standing on the Castle's bridge felt wrong. Nayni may not have seen or experienced everything that the Galra Prince had done to the Paladins but hearing it was enough for her. He just radiated a heinous and arrogant aura. She wasn't the only one who still felt this way. Everyone was watching Lotor very closely. They were all ready to jump on him at the slightest sign of trouble. They all were still hesitant to fully trust Lotor.

Nayni was still a strange mix of emotions. Coran had alleviated quite a bit of her fears but the confusion still lingered. She didn't trust this purple-faced, oiled up Prince and wasn't willing to leave him alone with her Paladins. It didn't help that Lotor seemed terribly smug about the entire situation. He'd built up this new enemy to be a threat as serious as his own father. He had no reason to be smiling about the whole affair. If Nayni had it her way, he'd still be locked up in that cell on the brig.

Coran rested his hand in the small of her back. His touch was what would keep her grounded through this entire meeting. Her lover gave her a reassuring nod. That soft smile on Coran's face actually put her to ease a little bit. Lotor folded his arms across his chest. The corner of his lips were drawn up in a satisfied smile.

"You can stand around and stare at me all you want," Lotor said. "If I'd wanted to kill you, I would've done so by now."

Nayni wrinkled her nose. Hunk had been standing rather close to her and Coran. It was as if the room had divided itself along the lines of who was most paranoid. Hunk's eyes narrowed.

"Is that something we need to be worried about?" Hunk said.

Shiro sighed and shook his head.

"Guys lets not even start with this," Shiro said. "I get that we all have some trust issues with Lotor but we have to work him now, okay? So lets just set all of that aside for now and move forward."

As if an intergalactic empire wasn't enough to deal with. Now they were dealing with an army from an entirely different reality too. Nayni was fairly certain nobody was happy with the situation but it was what had to be done. Allura folded her arms across her chest. She'd become quite good at presenting herself in an intimidating manner. Nayni didn't think the girl was simply posturing. The Princess really was that fearless.

"I'd like to believe that you've told us everything," Allura said. "But considering your rather sorted history, I'm inclined to think you have more to tell us."

Lotor sighed. He'd been so cool and collected since he'd boarded the Castle but their lack of trust seemed to finally be wearing on him.

"Shall I repeat the same information to you again?" Lotor hissed. "I told you, we need to find a way to contact Tomyko. She knows their weaknesses. She's the only one who could possibly know how to defeat these people."

Nayni went rigid upon hearing her name. She'd accepted that this _other_ Tomyko was a key part of all of this but it was still a bit hard to stomach. It still stung. Coran must've picked up on her tension. He ran his hand up the length of her back and rested his hand on the back of Nayni's neck.

"Well when we made the Teludav jump things weren't exactly looking good for her," Coran said.

Shiro nodded though he didn't seem pleased with this prospect.

"She may be dead or captured already. Who knows," Shiro said with a shrug. "But if we just go charging into battle with the limited intel we have, it's not going to go well for us either."

He was always the level headed one. Nayni just wished this whole nightmare would go away. Keith had been hanging back behind Lotor. His dark eyes had been glued to the Galra Prince the entire time.

"Maybe we could do more reconnaissance," Keith said.

Lotor just laughed.

"And how well did sneaking around that sector go for you?" Lotor said. "I guarantee they knew you were there the whole time. They found me rather easily."

Keith let out a low growl.

"Well, if you've got a better idea then spit it out!" Keith snapped.

Keith looked like he was about to throttle Lotor. He was impulsive and had a quick temper. It must've gotten him into quite a bit of trouble. Lotor found his aggression to be more amusing than actually threatening.

"I'm afraid I don't have much to offer. I wouldn't set foot in that sector anytime soon, personally," Lotor said.

Pidge pulled up her computer interface. She was already trying to puzzle out some solution to their predicament.

"I could try and modify my tracking program," Pidge began.

Her brow was furrowed and she didn't seem terribly confident with the idea.

"But with what little we know about these other Alteans, I don't know how long that would take," Pidge said. "They seemed to be leaving behind those insane quintessence readings. I could start there."

Shiro stroked his chin.

"It's a start, Pidge, but I think we're going to need to figure out something to work with in the meantime," Shiro said.

Allura had fallen silent. Nayni watched the Princess. Her indigo eyes were locked on the polished floors of the bridge. Allura's fists were clenched. Her mind seemed to be a million miles away. Hunk didn't seem satisfied with any of these propositions. He scratched under his yellow headband and grimaced.

"We can't forget how they were jamming our communications," Hunk said. "I don't think we can just call up this chick without someone noticing. And I don't know about you guys but I really don't feel like having that Satanic version of the Castle getting the jump on us."

Nayni didn't know what _Satanic_ was but Hunk didn't seem to like the concept of it very much. It sounded scary. His skepticism seemed to fuel Pidge with even more determination and she typed more furiously into her computer interface. The bridge just seemed to be growing more and more tense. Keith let out a groan of frustration. His face was already starting to redden from rage.

"We need to do something now!" Keith seethed. "The longer we wait the worse this is going to get! Let's just pick a plan and go with it!"

Lance rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, even you're not that stupid, man," Lance said.

Everything devolved after that. Lance and Keith were at each other's throats. Shiro was trying to calm them down while Lotor just shook his head and smirked. Pidge and Hunk were bickering over her tracking program. Even Coran was trying to step in and calm the situation. His attempts were fruitless though. Allura's gaze flickered up to meet Nayni's. She looked nervous. Allura muttered something but Nayni couldn't make out the words. Allura was trying to be too soft and tender. Amidst all this chaos that wasn't going to work. Nayni's nostrils flared and heat rushed to her face.

"Shut the quiznack up!" Nayni roared.

Her voice echoed off the walls of the bridge. She was so furious that her left eye was twitching.

"Stop barking at each other like a bunch of stupid whelps! The Princess has something to say!" Nayni snapped.

The room had already fallen silent. The Paladins looked mildly terrified but Lotor seemed rather impressed. Nayni cleared her throat. She folded her arms and tried to smile brightly at Allura.

"You were trying to say, Princess?" Nayni said.

Allura was hesitant. Nayni knew it wasn't because she'd just scolded the entire Castle crew. Allura had seen Nayni like this before and even when she was a little girl she'd not been exactly intimidated by it. Something else had Allura nervous. Allura toyed with the silver curls by her pointed ear. She didn't seem to care that there was anyone else in the room. The Princess was completely focused on the Guard Captain.

"I've never tried this myself but, I've read about it," Allura said. "I'd need your help, Nanny."

Allura was presenting this so gently. Nayni knew it wasn't going to be fun. Just by the way Allura was looking at her told Nayni everything she needed to know. Allura swallowed hard before she went on.

"In the past, Alteans could track down someone—close to them—using quintessence," Allura explained.

Nayni could already see where she was going with this. She went rigid.

"If we used the Castle's systems to amplify this power, maybe I could meld minds with you and we could track down Tomyko," Allura said. "I don't know if these— _other_ Alteans—could track that but it might work."

Nayni had done a few exercises like this during her military training. She'd hated all of them. She'd never been particularly gifted at utilizing Altean magic for anything. And she especially didn't like people rooting around in her head like that.

"But it's not _my_ Tomyko," Nayni said. "How could that even work?"

That wasn't the only reason for her to be hesitant. It was hard enough for Nayni to deal with those memories, she didn't like the idea of having them dug up on purpose. Coran was already back by her side, a hand on her shoulder. She didn't even have to look at him to know that he already was well aware of her fears. Allura chewed on her bottom lip.

"I know, I thought about it too but—you still had a connection with her. A deep one," Allura explained. "It may not exactly be the same Tomyko but it's what we've got to work with."

Lotor brushed his long silver hair away from his shoulder. There was a twinkle in his golden eyes.

"I've actually met Tomyko," Lotor said. "I might be able to help you out, Princess."

Nayni grimaced. She already wasn't very keen on this plan but the prospect of melding minds with Lotor was even more revolting to her. She didn't want his slippery Galra fingers anywhere near her or her memories. Lance appeared to be even less of a fan of the proposition.

"What?! You're not melding minds with Allura!" Lance snapped.

He wasn't even masking his emotions this time around. Nayni knew he was concerned solely for the Princess's safety. There were plenty of reasons for them to not want Lotor to have access to Allura's memories as well but those were not why Lance seemed to be on fire with anger. Allura held out her hand to calm him. Her fingertips barely brushed against his shoulder and the Blue Paladin froze.

"Lance, this is our best chance," Allura said. "If something goes wrong and they find us, we're far enough away that we'll have time to just make a jump out of here."

There was no denying the logic behind her plan. It was just going to be rather unpleasant. Nayni and Lotor exchanged looks and she sighed. She was going to have to open up the deepest parts of herself to this wretched boy that she barely knew. It seemed hard enough doing this with Allura but she at least trusted her Princess to handle this with strength. She felt Coran's grip on her shoulder tighten.

"You don't have to-" Coran whispered.

Nayni closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's my duty, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

He nodded. They both could agree that duty came first. He wouldn't fight her on this. Nayni knew that. She also knew he'd be there to wipe the tears away at the end of it all. Nayni stepped forward. She stood stiff as a board and her expression was stern.

"Let's get this over with," Nayni said briskly.

Coran started typing into the main control panel. A map of the universe spread out across the screen as his fingers danced across the panel. Allura, Lotor, and Nayni gathered under the massive Balmera crystal that hung from the ceiling. Nayni felt her hands starting to shake. She clenched her fists and tried to hide her anxiety. Standing so closely to Lotor made it feel as if a thin coating of slime was now running down her skin. Allura grabbed Nayni by the hand. The Princess hesitated but slipped her other hand into Lotor's. Lotor held out his other hand for Nayni. She stared at the lavender skin of his palm. Nayni took his hand stiffly. Allura nodded and took in a deep breath.

"Try to clear your mind of all thoughts," Allura said. "Just focus on Tomyko."

Nayni closed her eyes. She could already feel the cool tingle of Allura's energy creeping through her. She was already trembling. She felt the wave of that soothing warmth wash over her and pass through her fingertips into Lotor. Nayni's lips parted and she let out a soft gasp. This was a bit more of a shock to her system than she'd expected. She struggled to fixate on Tomyko. She kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she tried to picture her wife's face. The room around them started to melt away. Nayni felt as if the solid floor beneath them floated away. Everything faded to black and she felt as if she were surrounded by lukewarm black waters of some foreign ocean miles beneath the surface. All Nayni could feel, was Allura, it was as if the Princess had become a part of her. She felt something darker twisting its way inside her like a vine plant climbing up a stone wall. That had to be Lotor's presence melding with theirs.

* * *

The flashing lights of the club and the pounding beat of the electronic music was giving Nayni a headache. The healthy portion of beer she'd consumed was doing a great deal to help her cope with the situation though. She had never really been a fan of going to clubs and bouncing around on a dance floor with a bunch of sweaty and loud strangers, but her squadmates had managed to convince her to come along. Well, they hadn't _actually_ been the ones to convince her. Nayni jiggled her leg nervously and took another swig of her beer.

Dancing around like an idiot was all well and good but she didn't prefer to do that in the company of others. Nayni ran her fingers through her thick brown hair. She'd tried to do it up nice for the night's outing but that had been quite the disaster. She just sort of had a crooked ponytail now and looked rather foolish. Nayni had slid into a formfitting black shirt to try and show off her muscles. This entire idiotic spectacle had only come together because she was desperately trying to impress her squadmate, Tomyko.

The redhead had been slowly trying to drive Nayni insane ever since they'd been stationed together. She was so glamorous and statuesque. When she smiled, the pink markings on her face seemed to sparkle and her eyes looked like jewels. Nayni thought quite a bit about how that woman's makeup would like smeared all over her face after they'd had a snog. That image made Nayni take another swig of her beer. She waved for the bartender to pour her another round.

Large amounts of alcohol always helped her solve problems. This was a completely false statement but she believed it at the moment. The Altean bartender slid her another bottle of beer and Nayni sucked down another gulp of the bitter foamy beverage. She watched Tomyko bouncing around on the crowded dance floor. She laughed at some foolish man who tried to sidle up next to her. She pushed him away and flashed a wink at Nayni. That about killed her. Nayni had no idea how to talk to her. It's not that she hadn't picked people up before. Nayni had done it a fair number of times but Tomyko was so different. She was so mesmerizing. Everything about her was intoxicating. The way her hips swayed when she walked and the way her fiery hair glittered in the sunlight. And by King Groggery the woman could handle a weapon. She was the top shot in their whole unit. She was everything.

Tomyko sauntered over to the bar. Nayni felt her heart skip a beat. They'd had dozens of conversations and all of them had been utter disasters. Tomyko was just so charming and suave and Nayni was just a mess around her. Yet, Tomyko kept on talking to her. She'd made a daily habit of it. Nayni tried to adjust her ponytail and make herself more presentable which was rather pointless. Tomyko slid onto the stool next to her. She leaned over the counter and looked at Nayni rather coyly. Nayni's eyes fell along the curve of her neck and the sweat rolling down her tawny skin.

Tomyko's makeup was done flawlessly, as usual. Her deep crimson lipstick made her slender lips look so tantalizing.

"Nayni, you've just been sitting here all night sipping on that beer," Tomyko teased. "You must be bored."

She was but she was also rather intoxicated now and didn't think she could handle moving very much. She also had quite a difficult time being in this woman's presence.

"Oh, I'm fine—I'm just you know—-drinking-and sitting," Nayni said.

She was a dreadful conversationalist. Tomyko giggled and rested her slender hand on Nayni's forearm. Her touch felt like it was charged with electricity. Tomyko leaned in close. Even with the blaring music, Nayni could hear the sound of her breath falling into her pointed ears. Nayni felt a chill run down her spine. Tomyko let out a soft giggle and Nayni shuddered.

"I know you like me, Nayni," Tomyko whispered.

Nayni thought she was going to retch. Tomyko ran her hand along the curve of Nayni's muscled arm all the way down to her thick hand.

"And I don't know how to make it any more obvious that I _really like_ you," Tomyko said.

Nayni wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or those words that were making her feel light headed. Nayni leaned back. Tomyko had a devilish grin on her face and one of her thin brows was raised rather seductively.

"Oh," Nayni squeaked.

She was a complete and total idiot that was not worthy of this woman. Tomyko giggled, her luxurious mane of red hair fell about her narrow shoulders.

"You're a terrible flirt," Tomyko teased. "But I love that about you."

Nayni had to take a rather large swig of beer after that comment. She tried to go over all of their previous interactions and decide which one of them had been particularly flirtatious. It was quite possible that all of them were. Nayni just wasn't gifted at handling such situations with grace. Nayni desperately wanted to come up with some witty response but even this intoxicated she wasn't really capable.

"I love your-nice legs," Nayni stammered.

Tomyko giggled and her eyes seemed to twinkle like stars. Nayni just felt incredibly stupid that this was the only thing she could come up with. Tomyko leaned in close again. Her lips were almost brushing against the surface of Nayni's cheek.

"I love to think about what it'd feel like to have those rock hard muscles of yours tossing me around my bed," Tomyko whispered.

Nayni flushed. Tomyko had not been this forward before. She couldn't really deny what was happening now. She'd been able to brush off all of the redhead's previous comments as just something she'd misinterpreted but not this. This was rather obvious. Nayni just very much wanted to heft Tomyko up against a wall and taste those ruby lips of hers but she was afraid to be that brash. Tomyko tugged on the thin fabric of Nayni's sleeve. She had a devious spark in her violet eyes.

"Did you wear this just to torture me tonight?" Tomyko asked.

Nayni just nodded sheepishly. Even the queen of grace and seduction seemed to be a little flustered. Tomyko leaned back and managed to collect herself rather quickly.

"I know you hate this place," Tomyko said. "Let's go for a walk."

Nayni wanted to do much more than just walk. She'd walk across the entire surface of Altea a thousand times just to talk to this woman for a few dobashes. Nayni's ears perked up and Tomyko smiled softly.

"If a walk is all you want, that's fine," Tomyko said. "No pressure."

They certainly had quite a bit they needed to discuss but the idea of hopping straight into Tomyko's bed seemed very appealing to Nayni. Tomyko twirled the ends of her hair around her slender fingertip.

"And once we've had our fill of walking-" Tomyko began. "We'll just see where the night takes us."

She just shrugged and grinned. Nayni took one last swig of her beer to build up her courage. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Tomyko hopped off of the stool. She bowed with a great flourish that was rather ridiculous but it still made Nayni blush. Tomyko held out her slender hand, her violet eyes flickered up to meet Nayni's gaze. Nayni grabbed Tomyko's hand. Her skin was so soft and smooth. It was a stark contrast to Nayni's callused thick fingers.

"Shall we?" Tomyko asked.

Nayni found herself smiling uncontrollably. This beautiful woman actually wanted her. She was like some mythical being from another realm that had descended to their mortal coil. She was a goddess and Nayni didn't feel worthy of her.

"Most definitely," Nayni said.

Tomyko led her out of the club. The hot, damp air of the crowded bar was swallowed by the chill of the Altean night. Nayni felt the sweat on her skin cool in the air. Her heart fluttered as she watched Tomyko's fiery hair sway in the breeze. She would follow this woman to the ends of the universe. Tomyko looked over her shoulder. Her eyes were aflame with desire. Nayni wanted to know everything about her. Every dark secret and hidden desire. She wanted to know every crack and crevice. She longed to know every divet and curve of that slender, lithe body. She was drawn to Tomyko like the waves of the sea were drawn to the yellow sands of the beach.

* * *

Nayni could feel Allura's familiar presence but she couldn't see the visage of the Princess in the foggy darkness that had engulfed them. All that Nayni could see before her was an ethereal image of her long-dead wife. She stood there, still as a statue, adorned in her navy blue Army uniform. A soft smile on her slender face. Nayni felt herself being drawn to that ghostly image. This was _her_ Tomyko. It wasn't the one that they were seeking out. She felt a deep, aching sadness spreading out of her. A rush of warmth and comfort swirled around her and Nayni felt breathless. Curiosity crept up her like tendrils. The mix of Allura and Lotor's thoughts and emotions didn't feel unnatural. It was as if they'd always been a part of her.

Nayni felt the curiosity dissolve into a sensation of determination. The image of Tomyko before her shifted. It drifted away like mist on the surface of a lake. Another ghostly figure drifted across the darkness. It was Tomyko but she was so much older. The supple yellow-brown skin now had wrinkles around her eyes. They were delicate and soft but they were there. A faint scar was flecked across her nose. Her pink markings were a slightly darker hue now. Her expression was grim. She carried herself in a completely different manner. Her uniform was the most drastic change. It was a deep shade of crimson that was almost black. This was the _other_ Tomyko.

There was still a connection. It was faint but it was still there. It shocked Nayni. It felt as if Nayni was being stretched thin. She felt like something in her gut was reaching across the cosmos. Allura was searching. It was as if their very essence was branching out across the abyss in every direction. Their energy twisted like a river, carving a path through the vacuum of space. The farther Allura reached, the more solid the visage of the other Tomyko became. The more tangible the image became, the more hatred and pain Nayni could see in Tomyko's almond-shaped eyes.

The environment around Tomyko became more clear. Nayni thought she could hear the faint sound of voices talking. It looked like Tomyko was in a cell. The architecture was so familiar. It looked Altean but it was dark and twisted. The image was growing more and more clear. Nayni felt as if their energy was growing around the cell and slowly engulfing an entire ship. She could see the entire visage of the vessel floating in space. It was spreading out farther and farther. She could feel Lotor's familiarity with the surroundings and Allura's mounting anticipation. Then, Nayni felt something seize her.

She felt as if she was being ripped away from the two of them. She could barely feel a connection to Allura and Lotor. An icy wind ripped through her as she was torn away. Tomyko's visage vanished in a blink. It was as if some creature's sharp claws had dug their way into her gut. Nayni was consumed with fear. She could barely feel Allura reaching for her. The Princess's warmth was desperately trying to catch her. Allura was losing the race.

Nayni came to a sudden stop. She fell but felt nothing beneath her. She was surrounded by a nebula. The gaseous mass was made of splashes of pink and red and the twinkling light of dying stars. A pure, ancient terror permeated everything around her. Nayni felt a chill. Someone else was here. She could barely sense Allura and Lotor's presence was even fainter. Nayni was terrified to turn around and look upon the new arrival but she needed to. She needed to see their face.

Their presence was so familiar but they radiated a hungry, sinister energy. It was such a deeply rooted greed that it shook her. She looked upon the cloaked figure. They were tall and slender but she couldn't make out their face. With every step they took towards her, Nayni felt more fear. She was frozen. She was unable to move, unable to reach out to Allura or Lotor. The cloaked figure reached for her. They tilted her head to the side. Cold, bony fingers slid along the curve of her neck. Nayni was totally consumed with fear. She knew that touch. She knew that touch perfectly well.

She could feel that familiar breath on her neck. It wasn't hot like it was supposed to be. It felt like a winter breeze rushing across her skin. Her panic continued to rise. The soft, wicked laugh that passed through the figure's lips sounded exactly like she expected but it was tainted. It was dripping with hatred and hunger. Allura's presence seemed to be getting closer and closer but she couldn't reach for her. She couldn't reach out to the Princess and escape. She tried to get a glimpse of that face. It was enshrouded with darkness but she knew who it was. She felt it deep within her.

It was twisted and dark but she knew it. She couldn't deny who was standing next to her, breathing down her neck. The nebula grew more red, it seemed to be burning like a fire. Those cold hands ran along her neck and through her hair. Nayni could do nothing to stop it. She tried to speak, she tried to move but nothing happened. She could feel their hood brush against the tips of her ear's as their face moved closer to her's.

"I've found you," He hissed. "We're coming and we're going to kill you."

Nayni was shivering uncontrollably. She could feel Allura was close. It was as if the Princess's fingers were brushing against the base of her spine. She just needed to grab her. She needed to pull her up from these depths and back to where it was safe. He tilted her head so Nayni could face him. All she could make out were those hungry eyes, glowing with a red aura and that familiar devilish grin.

"We're going to kill all of you," He said. "And take everything you hold dear."

He brushed his lips along her neck and the familiar sensation of hair scratching against her skin made Nayni grimace. They'd found more than the other Tomyko. Someone else had found them and it was all Nayni's fault. Allura's strength and courage swept Nayni away in a crashing wave. It felt as if the air had been knocked out of Nayni. She fell backward. This time she felt the familiar hard floor of the bridge. She slammed into the ground.

The lights of the bridge were blinding. Nayni felt light headed and she was drenched in sweat. Her chest was still tight with panic. She skidded along the ground, trying to crawl away. Sweat was rolling down Lotor's forehead. He was bracing himself against a control panel. His eyes were wide with shock. Nayni was still shaking with panic. Allura and Coran rushed to Nayni's side. Allura was a shade paler and looked like she'd just seen a ghost.

The Paladins looked on. All of them appeared confused and scared. Nayni clung to the Princess. Her eyes were wild and full of terror. She kept taking in desperate loud breaths. She was safe. They were safe. They wouldn't be for long. Nayni looked to Coran, his brow was furrowed with concern. She felt such comfort looking upon his face. That familiar prominent nose and the crows feet about his eyes. His light blue markings and fiery hair were all in the right place. It was him. It was _her_ Coran.

Nayni gripped onto his forearm. Her hands were still trembling.

"We need to make a jump! N-now!" Nayni stammered.

Allura's lips parted. She started to speak then stopped herself. She took a deep breath.

"Did we get Tomyko's coordinates?" Allura asked.

Nayni had forgotten their mission's purpose in her panic. Her chest still felt tight from the fear. She clung to the Princess as she got to her feet. Coran typed into the main control panel. The display zeroed in on a star system and a red marker blinked on the screen.

"We've got her," Coran said.

The Castle's alarms started blaring. Red lights flashed throughout the bridge. Pidge was trying to sort through the garbled stats on her tracking program.

"We've got unknown enemies incoming," Pidge said.

The Green Paladin's voice wavered. They knew exactly _who_ was coming. Coran already started typing into the control panel. He input coordinates at random in preparation for the Teludav jump. Nayni felt that familiar icy terror creeping up within her. She felt no anxiety over making this jump. She didn't care if it made her sick. She just so desperately wanted to get away.

"We're ready to wormhole!" Coran said.

Allura didn't hesitate. She closed her eyes. An aquamarine aura engulfed her. The purple wormhole portal opened up before them. The Castle dove in and the portal closed behind them. Nayni felt that creeping terror vanish instantly and she let out a gasp of relief. It was as if she finally had regained the ability to breathe without restriction. They emerged on the other end of the portal. It was a star system that Nayni didn't recognize but she didn't really care.

Keith started forward. He was wide-eyed and fired up.

"What the hell happened!?" Keith demanded.

Nayni exchanged glances with Lotor and Allura. Nayni clung to Coran. She was still trembling like a child. Nothing had scared her this much in her entire life. Even the Galra invasion hadn't shaken her so deeply. She looked to Coran nervously. He was so worried. He was so lost. He seemed just as scared as she was. He'd never seen her like this. Nayni was certain of that. Lotor was taking in deep, hungry breaths. He was still regaining his strength too.

Nayni swallowed hard. She looked upon the faces of the Paladins. She was at a loss for words.

"I saw him," Nayni said weakly.

Lance crept closer to her. The Blue Paladin's face was full of concern.

"Saw who?" Lance pried.

Nayni looked to Coran one last time before she finally admitted to what had just happened to her.

"I saw Coran," Nayni said. "The _other_ Coran."


	18. What It Feels Like For A Girl

_Author's Note: I apologize for the gap in updates. I've been busy with the holidays and haven't honestly been feeling that great! Anyway, I felt like writing from Allura's perspective this time._

* * *

She wasn't going to stand another dobash of Nanny enduring this chaos. Allura had already put her bodyguard through enough. The atmosphere on the bridge was still thick with tension. They still had so much to discuss. They had so many plans to lay out but Allura couldn't look at Nanny without feeling an immense sense of guilt. Nanny was trying to stand tall and mask the fear that she was so obviously harboring. Allura hadn't been able to witness exactly what Nanny had experienced during the mind-melding process but she felt it. She felt that soul-crushing terror and she knew that was still weighing Nanny down. Seeing an evil alternate version of one of your closest companions would do that to a person.

It had just been a continuous landslide for Nanny since they'd found her. They'd barely had a moment's respite before all this chaos had been unleashed. That's how'd it been for Coran and Allura too but the Princess felt some deep protective instinct over the Guard Captain. Nanny had been there for as far back as Allura could remember. The only other person Allura would've been just as happy to see step out of that sleep chamber was her own father.

Coran had forced Nanny to take a seat at Hunk's station. He doted on her. He always had and Nanny had always been so stubborn and resistant to him. That was still very much so the case but the stout Altean seemed to have loosened up. Allura had teared up a bit after Coran had told her they'd finally come together. She'd been fretting about him quite a bit since they'd been awoken by the Paladins. Seeing him finally get this little slice of peace and happiness warmed Allura's heart.

The Castle Helmsman was speaking in a hushed tone with Nanny. The Guard Captain kept shaking her head vigorously even though she was still trembling. Allura looked over the rest of the bridge. Lotor seemed to have bounced back rather quickly from the mind-melding process. He seemed to be watching her and everyone else, quietly observing every little detail about them. Allura still didn't trust him. He'd come to their aid and was working with them now but it was difficult to completely erase the memories of everything he'd done to them.

Hunk and Pidge were still working on adjusting her tracking program. They were desperate to try and find some way to keep tabs on their new enemy. Hunk seemed to be more frustrated and confused than particularly helpful with that process. Shiro and Keith hovered around one another. Neither of them seemed very talkative though Allura knew they would probably have some of the stronger opinions when it came to discussing their next move. Keith used to make her heart flutter. She wasn't prone to swooning ever but he'd gotten reactions from her. None of it had been intentional on his part. Allura was fairly certain of that.

When she looked at him now that seemed like such a distant memory. It really hadn't been that long ago that she'd looked upon that handsome, boy and felt a flicker within her. She'd barely had a taste of that feeling partially due to the war that was raging and partially because he was so emotionally distant. He was family to them all but he'd never really opened up to any of them like that. Like the way she'd _wanted_ him to. Accepting that he never really would was what had really pushed Allura to move forward. She still hadn't quite sorted it all out but there really hadn't been much time to focus on something as frivolous as personal feelings.

Lance had slowly crept over to her. His posture was rather stooped and his eyes seemed fixated on Coran and Nanny. The Blue Paladin was close with the Royal Advisor. Allura was fairly certain that Nanny hated Lance but he seemed concerned about her too. Lance was tall and lanky. He wasn't exactly hideous either. He could be easy on the eyes. He'd been a harder nut to crack than Keith was. Allura's thoughts drifted to their talk in the kitchen not that long ago. She still didn't have an answer for him. She hadn't had time to come up with an answer for him. It hadn't seemed to bother him at all.

Lance was still treating her as if nothing had happened. It was rather mature of him. He'd had quite a few surprising moments as of late. She'd started off thinking he was just an idiotic, shallow flirt but he had turned out to be so much more than that. Lance leaned closer to Allura, he was trying to be as discreet as possible. His gaze flickered between Coran and Allura.

"I think Nanny needs some rest," Lance said.

He spoke just barely above a whisper. Allura wanted nothing more than to comfort Nanny in private and try to help her wrap her head around all this but they were short on time.

"I know," Allura said.

Lance just stared at Allura. He was waiting for her to say something else but Allura didn't know what else to say. She knew how stubborn Nanny was. Getting her off of the bridge was not going to be easy. Lance craned his neck to get a better look at the older Altean couple.

"I mean, pardon my French, but she just saw some shit," Lance said.

Allura knew that 'French' was an Earthen language but she'd really only heard that phrase a few times before. It was some way for Earthlings to apologize for swearing. It seemed rather unnecessary. All of them had felt like swearing quite a bit lately.

"But getting her to admit to that is not going to happen," Allura said. "If I just order her to go to her quarters it's going to-"

Allura sighed.

"It will be embarrassing for her," Allura said.

Nanny didn't like showing her weaker side. Especially not in front of Allura. They'd spent so much time together over the course of Allura's life that she could read the guard's emotions rather easily. Nanny still seemed to carry on as if this weren't the case. The older Allura got the more she realized that they were strong for each other. And ever since Nanny had come back into their lives, Allura felt like she'd been the one doing most of the supporting. Lance was smirking. Allura found herself grinning too. His attitude could be rather infectious.

"I've got it covered," Lance said. "Don't worry."

Lance sauntered over to Pidge and Hunk. When he was actually trying to be casual he was terrible at it. If he'd just acted like himself he would've flown under the radar more easily. Allura grimaced from second-hand embarrassment. Lance leaned over Pidge's station and whispered to the Yellow Paladin. That glint was still in his eye. Hunk tried to turn his head and glance at Coran and Nanny but Lance tugged on his collar to stop him. There was a great deal of nodding before the negotiations were finally done with.

Lance leaned against Pidge's station and folded his arms over his chest. He seemed very eager to see his plans unfold. Hunk tried to fake an overdramatic groan of frustration but it wasn't convincing in the least.

"That's it! I need to clear my head! I can't deal with this right now!" Hunk said.

He was trying to sound aggravated but his tone just sounded flat and rather loud. Keith furrowed his brow in confusion. The former Red Paladin looked like he was watching a spaceship wreck. Hunk wasn't exactly sold on his own performance either but he seemed committed to making it to the awkward end.

"I'm gonna go bake some coo- _chocolate chip cookies_ ," Hunk said.

Lance was nodding with approval. Hunk was trying to mask the fact that he was cringing quite a bit.

"Wanna come, Nanny?" Hunk asked.

Nanny had already perked up at the mention of chocolate but she seemed hesitant to take him up on his offer.

"I'm sorry?" Nanny said.

Her tired gaze fell on the Princess. This didn't surprise Allura in the least. The Guard Captain's instincts had always been to be close to her and she was always looking for Allura's permission before she did anything. It didn't matter how many times Allura told Nanny that didn't matter anymore. That instinct would always remain. Hunk was getting more nervous. He kept twiddling his thick brown fingers and staring at the tips of his boots.

"I mean, you're a nanny, so you're good at making cookies and stuff- so I thought you'd want to come help?" Hunk stammered.

Lying was not one of the Yellow Paladin's gifts. Nanny scowled. Even amidst all this tension, that made Allura giggle a little bit. Coran leaned closer to Nanny. Allura could barely see his lips move as he whispered into her ear. Nanny rolled her eyes and nodded. Coran patted Nanny on the back gently with a soft, tender smile on his face. Allura knew this was her chance to seal the deal. She stepped forward and smiled warmly at her dear old friend.

"We could all use some cookies," Allura said. "Don't worry, Nanny, we'll get you both caught up to speed afterward."

Allura had given her permission. She didn't really need to but she did it for Nanny's sake. The idea seemed to appeal to Nanny much more now. It was pretty impossible for Nanny to resist sweets anyway but she still put duty before personal pleasures. She put it before everything. Coran held out his hand and helped Nanny get to her feet. She clearly didn't need that help but she'd grown much more receptive to his polite gestures since they'd been reunited. Allura watched Hunk awkwardly escort Nanny off of the bridge. He towered over the Guard Captain but they were both built the same. Both of them were walls of muscle and flesh but incredibly gentle at their cores. Though, Nanny had quite a few more layers of grumpiness to break through before you got to the gentle bits.

Lance flashed Allura a wink to acknowledge the execution of their plan successfully. He somehow knew when it was appropriate to brag and when it wasn't. She nodded to him gratefully. Coran waited until Nanny and Hunk had disappeared from the bridge before he allowed himself to move. His shoulders drooped ever so slightly when she departed. Allura had noticed that from a very young age. He'd always done it. The gesture seemed to be more out of worry now than it had been for pining and pent-up desire. They could speak more freely now but even Allura was hesitant to start going down this road. The prospect of what lay ahead seemed rather ominous. Until they got their hands on Tomyko, everything they came up with was pure conjecture. She hated to work like that.

Coran approached the main control panel. Allura knew he was shaken too but he'd focus on his duties. It's always what he turned to, with or without Nanny around. He knew what was coming. They were going to have another of their grand meetings. They'd done it so many times now that he'd gone into autopilot as he worked with the Castle's systems. He'd be bringing up charts and logs before they'd even ask him to. Allura followed him over to the console. He was hunched over the panel and typing furiously into the controls. Tomyko's supposed coordinates were brought up on the main screen along with the most recent scan they'd done of that system. Allura rested her slender hand on his shoulder.

"You can go to her if you wish," Allura said. "It's all right."

Coran smiled half-heartedly. She worried about the two of them as much as they worried about her. Possibly even more. Coran shook his head and chuckled under his breath.

"She'd be rather cross with me if I did that," Coran said. "This is where she wants me to be right now."

This was true. Allura had to make the offer at least. She had to put it out there even if it just brought her some piece of mind. They had a lot of work to do. They always had but she couldn't just sit there and say everything she was about to in front of Nanny. She knew that the Guard Captain was already full of guilt and fear right now. She didn't want her overanalyzing the situation any more than she'd already done so. Nanny needed some time too. All of this must've been horrifically overwhelming for her.

Allura cleared her throat. She tried to push aside all of her personal worries and focus on the task at hand. The plans they were about to lay out were probably some of the most important ones they'd ever discussed. She'd already captured the attention of the rest of the room. Pidge's eyes barely flickered away from her station. The pace at which the Green Paladin was typing had slowed though. There wasn't a single face in the room that didn't look grim. Allura held her head high. She needed to address this with as little fear as possible. She needed to project an aura of courage for them all.

"After the mind meld, I think it's even more critical that we get Tomyko," Allura said. "We're going to need every piece of intel that we can get if we have any hope of stopping these— _other_ Alteans."

She didn't even know how to address them or where to begin. They were up against mirror images of themselves. Their reflections were twisted and dark but it was still so similar to who they were. It was unsettling. Lotor smiled. He looked even slimier when he was smug like this.

"I'm glad we're finally on the same page, Princess," Lotor said.

Lance gritted his teeth. He was still very resistant to Lotor's presence. Allura turned to the main display. The images they had of that star system weren't exactly up to date.

"From what I could see during the mind meld, Tomyko is being held on a prison vessel," Allura explained. "The Other Castle was in that system as well until-"

Until they tracked them down through Nanny. Allura was positive that's what happened. That's part of why she'd wanted her out of the room. Nanny probably already knew it but she didn't want to deepen that wound for her any more than they had to. Lotor's smirk fell away. His expression was much more stern now.

"-until they found us by using your companion," Lotor said. "That was a most disadvantageous turn of events."

Allura had expected him to be less sensitive about it. He was just approaching it as an unfortunate truth. He wasn't smug or sarcastic. Keith found this revelation to be deeply troubling. His eyes had gone wide and he sneered.

"They _used_ her?" Keith pressed. "How is that even possible? It took the three of you just to get even the tiniest inkling of where Tomyko was."

It was more than just an inkling. Allura was certain they'd found Tomyko though she couldn't be sure just exactly what they'd be walking into now. She'd only gotten a glimpse of the enemy's fleet before she'd had to chase after Nanny and pull her back from the brink. Shiro held up a hand to try and calm Keith down. The Black Paladin still had quite a bit of sway over the boy.

"Some more details would be helpful," Shiro said. "We know she saw another-"

Shiro hesitated. Coran had stopped typing into the main console. He was quite troubled by what Nanny had told them. She'd said very little but Allura knew he'd want to know. He was involved in it, in some twisted backwards way. Allura sighed and rubbed along the length of her slender arm.

"After this experience, I have a theory," Allura said.

It was just a hunch but she felt it in her gut. She couldn't ignore that instinct.

"We were able to track down Tomyko because of Nanny's deep connection with her. It isn't the same woman she married but—I think some of those interpersonal connections are universal across realities," Allura explained.

Coran froze. Allura knew this was going to trouble him. He was going to blame himself too even if it was pointless. She would try to lay out her theory with some tenderness.

"I still had to use Lotor and Nanny's combined knowledge to track her down," Allura went on. "But it was that deep seeded connection they'd shared that really drew me to Tomyko. And I believe this Other Co-"

She hated to call him this. That monster that Nanny encountered was nothing like the Coran they knew. Allura had felt the evil radiating off of him. He was so tainted with quintessence and dark energy that Allura could barely even recognize who it was. Lotor stroked his chin.

"The Advisor," Lotor said. "At least, that's what Tomyko called him."

It was a more palatable title for Allura. It wasn't helping Coran though. Allura could already tell he was punishing himself internally. The Princess wasn't sure if she'd be able to stop him from that.

" _The Advisor_ utilized one of those universal connections to get to us," Allura said. "I have no idea how he picked up on it but he did. He knew we were probing around, somehow. The amount of quintessence that seemed to be around him. It was nothing like I've ever seen."

He was definitely someone Allura was not looking forward to meeting. She'd barely encountered him and it was in the ethereal realm of quintessence and energy but he'd reminded her so much of Haggar. It was chilling. Pidge looked up from her station. She tried to brush some of her light brown hair away from her petite face but the strands just fell back into place.

"So if you're theory is correct, then there's a good chance they could track us down through any one of us," Pidge said.

This had crossed Allura's mind. She didn't think the Castle crew would go into a blind panic over it but she knew some of them were going to take that news better than others.

"Yes," Allura said. "But we'll have no way of knowing just how vulnerable we are until we retrieve Tomyko."

Everything was hinging on this. If they failed to get to her in time, things were going to be significantly more challenging. Shiro unfolded his arms and stepped forward. He was always the one to make the first move.

"Then I guess we better start figuring out how to execute this prison break," Shiro sighed. " _Again_."

They had little time to act. They'd have to come up with a flawless plan and carry it out perfectly. Lotor was smiling again. His golden eyes seemed to be sparkling.

"Well, our little mishap could play to our advantage," Lotor said. "They've split up their forces now. That should make taking over that prison vessel much easier."

The Other Castle had made a Teludav jump to their previous location and it hadn't been alone. There was still a chance that it'd returned to the system where Tomyko was. Lance shook his head.

"So, we show up and start to break out Tomyko, what's going to stop them from showing up and blowing us up?" Lance said. "We've got Voltron but they were packing a lot of heat."

Lotor just smirked. Allura didn't like the look in his eye.

"We bait them," Lotor said. "We already possess something that we know they want."

Allura stiffened. She already didn't like this idea. She looked to Coran. His eyes were already narrowed and his fists were clenched. The diplomat in him was still forcing him to hold back the fear and anger this idea filled him with. Keith didn't hide his outrage over the concept.

"So splitting _them_ up is a weakness but for _us_ to split up it's a good idea!?" Keith snapped.

Lotor just scoffed.

"Why not get you and your band of rebels to escort the Castle then?" Lotor teased. "I'm sure you could handle it. The Paladins and I can make swift work of retrieving Tomyko."

Lance was the one that was fired up now.

"I'm sorry, if you think you're coming with us, you're insane!" Lance said.

Lotor rolled his golden eyes. Shiro moved to the middle of the room. He was physically trying to position himself between the three of them.

"Guys, calm down, it does make some sense," Shiro said. "Lotor is a familiar face to Tomyko, she'll be way more willing to come with us if he's there."

It was true. It was a sound assumption to make. Allura still had that lingering distrust for the Galra Prince but they were going to need him. Especially if what he'd said about her counterpart in this reality were true. Tomyko wouldn't exactly be pleased to see Allura's face amidst her rescuers. Shiro's comments didn't put Lance at ease. Passion and concern were fueling the fire that lingered in his eyes.

"So, we're just going to leave Coran and Nanny behind to fight that friggin' demon Castle by themselves?" Lance pressed. "What if something goes wrong and we can't get to them in time?"

Allura didn't like it either but she didn't think they had much of a choice. If they all went in together they might not be able to make it out with Tomyko. If they had to deal with that full fighting force head on they'd just end up fleeing again. This way, they could at least buy themselves some time. Lotor seemed incredibly frustrated with Lance. He gritted his teeth and buried his face in his hands. He took in a deep breath and sighed.

"As I said," Lotor explained through gritted teeth. "That's what your stupid little rebel friends are for."

Both Lance and Keith were seething now. Lotor seemed to enjoy getting them riled up. Coran rested a hand on Allura's shoulder. His grip was firm and he looked determined.

"We'll do it," Coran said. "I know we can handle it."

Allura was well aware that Coran and Nanny would be willing to do anything for them. It didn't matter how risky it was. Allura was certain that he could speak for the two of them with confidence. He knew Nanny better than even she did. Coran's confidence didn't seem to ease Lance's worries much but it was enough to silence the Blue Paladin. Shiro was nodding to himself. He seemed to be going over the plan in his head and working out the little details.

"We'll set up coordinates to meet at after the mission," Shiro said. "Let's try to stay within a system of each other. It'll be an extra layer of backup and help us make a swifter get away."

He was a great tactician. It's why Allura usually let him take the reins during missions like this.

"Keith, you should touch base with the Blades. We're going to have to move quickly if this is going to work," Shiro said.

Keith nodded. This was it. It could work. It was going to be nerve-wracking and it might be a complete disaster but it was the best chance they had. Tomyko was a vital piece to this puzzle and they desperately needed the information that was locked away in her brain. Allura knew the only resistance Nanny might pose was the fact that she still felt that need to always be by the Princess's side. It didn't matter that Allura was a Paladin now. Nanny would never be able to grow past that instinct. It was strong and maternal. She just didn't seem to realize that Allura felt the same desperate need to protect her too. Coran folded his arms behind his back.

"I'll go brief Hunk and Nayni about the mission," Coran said. "Maybe they'll have some cookies for me too."

He actually seemed excited by this prospect. There was also a good chance that Nanny was going to scold him for volunteering them for a mission that would tear her away from Allura. She'd relent in the end especially if she had a belly full of sweets.

* * *

Allura had slowly been spending more and more time on the Castle the further along she'd gotten in her studies. It had been a nice departure from the surroundings of the Royal Palace but now it was just as familiar of a setting to her. She'd remembered watching her father orchestrate the modifications to the vessel to accommodate for the Lions of Voltron. Now she couldn't even remember what it looked like before that took place. Coran could explain every crevice and hidden nook of Castle in great detail. Allura had been told by her father that he was also a brilliant engineer but since most of her encounters with the Royal Advisor involved diplomacy she still found it a rather surprising trait.

Nanny didn't usually come along for these training sessions. She wasn't particularly fond of space travel so usually, Father would find someone else to take over the Guard Captain's duties when it was time to return to the Castle. That wasn't the case today. Ever since Zarkon and Honerva's death, Nanny had been glued to Allura's side. She didn't have the clearance to come onto the bridge. Nanny was probably just sitting awkwardly in the hallway counting the lights on the ceiling.

Allura found these sessions much more enjoyable than having her face stuffed in a datapad absorbing random knowledge. She loved putting her hands on the controls of the Castle and feeling the energy course through her veins. They had never seen actual combat but the idea of it was thrilling. It was a challenge and she lived for it. Nanny always nagged her and said that space battles weren't as fun as the teledramas and novels made them out to be but Allura still longed to see some of that action. Father was always running off with the Paladins and saving the day. Allura wanted to be a part of that. She wanted to help the helpless. That had come to a halt though. Allura tried to push that dark thought out of her mind.

Coran was manning the main control panel. Allura stood between the two control pillars. She'd barely been able to reach her hands over the top of the pillars not that long ago. Now that struggle was nonexistent. Allura flexed her fingers over the slick white surface of the pillars. Coran seemed satisfied with whatever he'd needed to set up at the control panel. He turned to face the young Princess with a bright smile on his face. He enjoyed these lessons just as much as she did. He was very proud of the Castle. It was one of many of the contributions his family had made to Altea from what her father had told her.

She was nearly as tall as him now. He'd always seemed like a fiery-haired giant to her. The older she got, the more he just seemed like an ordinary man. Coran rubbed his hands together with an excited gleam in his eye.

"All right, we're going to try something very tricky today," Coran said. "But I'm sure you can handle it."

Allura already liked the sound of this.

"You're going to use the Teludav," Coran said.

Allura gulped. She'd manipulated quintessence quite a bit but she'd yet to attempt to use the Teludav. Her father did it all the time. The blood of generations of Alchemists ran through her veins. She _should_ have the power to do this. It didn't relieve the pressure though. Not many Alteans could do this.

"A full jump?" Allura asked.

If they made a jump, they'd come out into the hallway and find the floors coated with Nanny's vomit. Coran patted her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Not yet," Coran said. "I want you to just try and open up the portal."

Coran leaned forward with a devilish grin on his face. He toyed with the end of his mustache as he spoke.

"If we made a jump unannounced I'm fairly certain Madame Nordontu would kill me," Coran teased.

Allura giggled. He always made her feel so much better about things. His little jokes and reassurances went miles for her. When she'd been a toddler, she'd actually believed Coran was an uncle or some blood relative. It'd been quite the shock for her when Father explained that he wasn't. Coran took a step back from the central platform. He waved his hand over the control panel and the main display lit up with a map of the surrounding star systems.

"Okay, Princess, the Teludav is powered up and ready to go," Coran said.

Allura took a deep breath. Her heart was racing. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She needed to clear her mind and center herself. Allura listened to the sound of Coran's footsteps as he paced around her. He softened his tone as he spoke.

"Concentrate on melding yourself with your surroundings. Try and connect your energy with the Castle," Coran said.

Allura felt as if she was being spread thin. Her energy was traveling along the wiring and conduits within the Castle walls.

"Focus on opening the portal," Coran said. "And if you feel light-headed, just stop. I don't want you hurting yourself."

Allura wanted to do this so badly that nothing was going to stop her. She focused on the idea of opening the portal. She tried to visualize the steps of the Teludav powering up. She pictured the blue lasers bouncing off of the polished lenses and the beam erupting from the Castle. She focused on the idea of tearing a rift through the very fabric of space. Beads of sweat were rolling down Allura's temples. Allura's knees were shaking but she was so determined to do this. The Castle was rumbling beneath her. She let out a gasp when she heard that familiar sound of the Teludav firing off. Allura looked on with great excitement as the purple portal opened before them.

It sat there before them, rotating and glittering in the inky blackness of space. Allura laughed with a giddy excitement. She'd done it. She'd done it just like Father and her grandparents and all the ancestors that had come before her. She couldn't contain her excitement. She squealed and wrapped her arms around Coran. He squeezed her tightly. He was laughing joyously with her.

"I knew you could do it!" Coran said. "I'm so proud of you!"

His approval meant just as much to her as Father's did. She wanted to tell the world about it. Allura was bouncing up and down. The thrill of it was still pulsing through her.

"I have to tell Nanny!" Allura squealed.

She scampered across the floor of the bridge. Nanny had probably already noticed the Castle rumbling as the Teludav fired off but Allura didn't care. She wanted to see the look on Nanny's face when she told her. Allura skidded to a stop by the exit archway. She typed her clearance code into the control panel and the doors slid open.

Nanny was leaned back in her rickety metal chair. Her head was lulled back and her mouth was gaping open. The Guard Captain was fast asleep. She looked rather ridiculous. Allura tried to muffle her giggles with her hand. Allura felt Coran's hand rest on her tiny shoulder. Allura wanted to wake Nanny up and tell her every detail of her accomplishment but Coran pulled her back onto the bridge.

"Let her rest," Coran whispered. "Her roommate keeps her up all night with their snoring."

He seemed to have a twinge of guilt in his voice. Allura didn't realize Nanny had a roommate. She _had_ noticed that Coran was always looking out for her though. He typed into the control panel and the doors slid closed almost silently. Coran smiled warmly at the Princess.

"I know she'll be very excited to hear about it though," Coran assured.

Allura folded her arms across her chest and smirked. These subtle moments did not come often but they'd been around for as long as she could remember. Coran would get that look in his eye or Nanny would go more rigid than usual. All of these subtle gestures were usually triggered by them being around one another. Allura had brought this up with her Father. He'd gotten quite a chuckle out of it. The King had always said he couldn't speak for the Royal Advisor or the Guard Captain but he knew their situation was complicated. Father never tried to hide these things from her. He always answered her with such honesty.

Allura used to hold her tongue on the subject but she found it rather amusing. And since she had been robbed of her bragging session she was feeling particularly frisky. Coran's ear twitched. He seemed slightly nervous. He tried to laugh it off.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Princess?" Coran asked.

Allura brushed her long silver hair away from her shoulders.

"Why don't you tell her, Coran?" Allura teased.

Coran's eyes darted to the archway. His nervousness was barely detectable but Allura could sense it.

"I already said, we should let her rest, I don't think we should wake her up," Coran stammered.

Allura rolled her eyes. The two of them were always trying to lie their way out of these questions. She wasn't a gullible baby anymore. She wasn't having any of this.

"I'm not talking about that," Allura said.

Coran's laugh was much more obviously nervous now. This only made her smirk more devilishly. Coran rubbed the back of his neck. He kept opening his mouth to speak but then he'd just close it again or let out a nervous laugh.

"You're very perceptive, Princess," Coran said.

She was rather surprised that he wasn't even going to try and deny it anymore. Anytime Allura teased Nanny about it she got scolded for a good quarter of a varga. Allura loved to get her riled up like that though. Nothing else seemed to get Nanny going quite as much as bringing up Coran. He kept staring at the closed set of doors in the archway. Allura could see their reflections in the polished metal.

"Just tell her about it," Allura pressed. "I don't get what the big deal is."

Allura had been pretty terrified when she'd had her first crush. That hadn't exactly worked out but she was still alive. It barely even hurt anymore to think about him. Mostly because he was a complete buffoon. She didn't expect two grown adults to be this way about things though. They were supposed to have all of this figured out. Coran let out a soft sigh.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy. It's a tad bit more complicated than that, Princess," Coran explained.

Well, at least he didn't throw in that annoying 'you'll understand when you're older' bit. It drove Allura mad when Nanny said things like that to her. Coran seemed to be accepting Allura's growth much more gracefully than Nanny had. Nanny kept trying to treat her like a child and seemed extremely frustrated when Allura didn't _act like that child_. Father assured Allura that Nanny still loved her dearly. He just said that some Alteans don't handle it well when their little ones grow up. It had been a strange concept to Allura at first but the Princess was the closest thing Nanny had to a daughter. And Nanny had been the closest thing Allura had ever had to an actual mother. Coran sighed.

"There's just a lot going on right now, Princess, now isn't the best time," Coran said.

He seemed to be speaking with sincerity but Allura could detect a bit of sadness in his voice. That's how these conversations always ended. It didn't matter if she was talking to Nanny about it or him. There was always that air of sadness hanging over them. Nanny usually tried to mask it with anger but Allura could still pick up on it. Coran would try to smother it with formality or play it off as if things weren't as big of a deal to him as it actually was. They acted just like the other adolescents that Allura knew except both of them were so far beyond that age that they shouldn't be this way anymore.

It wasn't as fun to tease Coran about this. He didn't get red in the face and puff out his cheeks like Nanny did. Coran just seemed a bit dejected. He used to get so flustered and awkward but not as of late. Allura unfolded her arms and smirked.

"Let's see what other cool stuff I can do then," Allura said. "I feel like I could take on the entire universe by myself now."

* * *

Everyone had broken off from the bridge. They all had their tasks to finish up before they made their move on Tomyko. Pidge was still working on her new tracking program. Coran had gone to the kitchen to brief Hunk and Nanny. Shiro, Keith and Lotor had gone off to Groggery knows where. Allura had the feeling that Shiro wasn't going to leave Lotor alone anywhere. Lance had been working at his station on the bridge but he was getting up to leave now. Tensions were high but Allura needed to get something off of her chest.

She'd been watching Coran and Nanny her whole life. She'd seen how much they'd put things off because of what was going on around them. They'd put everything before their own personal needs. Maybe it was the prospect of possibly dying that was pushing Allura to have this talk too. The Princess glanced at the Green Paladin before she followed Lance off of the bridge.

This was a tad awkward. This was definitely a private matter and Allura didn't want to embarrass the Blue Paladin. She respected him greatly for being brave enough to open up to her about his feelings. Being stealthy wasn't exactly Allura's strong suit. He noticed rather quickly that she was hot on his heels. He looked a tad nervous. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his brown jacket and his lips were pursed.

Allura was surprised that she felt a bit nervous too. She'd talked privately with Lance quite a few times in the past but the conversation had never really pertained to their relationship. Being out in the hallway wasn't exactly the most private setting either. Allura didn't even feel like there was a real reason to be awkward about it. She still found herself fiddling with the seems of her gloves though.

"Lance, I thought we should have a chat," Allura said.

She sounded so calm. Her tone was level and strong but she didn't feel that calm. She found this mildly alarming. Lance nodded. He wasn't as relaxed now. His posture had stiffened even if it was ever so slightly. Lance seemed to know exactly what this was all about.

"I told you it's okay," Lance said. "There's a lot going on right now. I get that we don't really have time to deal with this."

He'd been mature like this before but he still impressed her every time he acted this way. Lance had been hot-headed in the past but when it came down to it he could always set aside his feelings and focus on the mission. He'd even helped her tap into parts of herself that she hadn't been able to before. Allura sighed.

"There's never going to be a good time though," Allura said.

Lance seemed surprised. His eyes widened a bit. Allura rubbed the length of her bicep. She was finding it rather difficult to look in those brown eyes of his.

"I still need time," Allura explained. "But I wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten about what you said."

It would be pretty hard for anyone to forget a confession like the one he'd made. It'd caught her quite off guard. She'd gotten used to him flirting but he did that with everyone. She hadn't expected him to be so tender and vulnerable with her. The longing in his eyes was very familiar. She'd seen that look on Coran's face for years.

"I don't want you to feel any pressure," Lance said. "If you're not down, it's fine."

That was the conundrum. Allura had thought she'd never look at the Blue Paladin that way, especially when they'd first met, but she'd been surprised by her initial reaction to his confession. She was a bit open to the idea of it now. It was a most unexpected feeling. And the way he was handling the whole situation was having a peculiar effect on her.

"We're always under pressure," Allura mused.

Lance smiled and had to nod in agreement. They'd been under pressure since the first day they'd met. Allura found herself enjoying the sight of his smirk quite a bit.

"I found it very flattering-that you feel that way about me," Allura said.

The tan skin of Lance's cheeks flushed a little. Allura tried to smother the giggle that brought on.

"I still need to think about things," Allura confessed. "But I just wanted to check in with you."

He seemed rather satisfied with this.

"Thanks," Lance said.

The Blue Paladin seemed like he wanted to say more but he was holding himself back. Allura stiffened. She needed to cling to formality if she was going to walk away from this without blushing slightly. Lance had made her feel rather confused. He'd been confusing her for a bit of time before their talk in the kitchen if she was perfectly honest with herself.

"Well, I'll let you go," Allura said. "We've got a lot of work to do."

Lance nodded. That glint in his eye actually stirred something in her. She couldn't quite look at him as he walked away. Allura's feelings for Keith had been so one-sided. She never felt like she had ever crossed his mind on anything deeper than a platonic level. Keith was still fighting for the same cause. He was still just as dedicated to their mission as she was but he had always been out of reach. He'd always walled himself off.

But Lance had opened up to her. He'd encouraged her when she'd been scared and uncertain. His humor was a bit stupid and she found his incessant flirting to be annoying but he was so considerate. He was loyal and clever. The Blue Paladin was here. He'd been there in quite a few unexpected ways. Allura found that she may have cherished those moments more than she'd previously thought.


	19. Deja Vu

A grainy image of Keith and Kolivan were spread across the main display. Coran was already hard at work prepping the Castle's systems. Nayni was right by his side. They were working on top of each other but she didn't care. The task before them was consuming all of her focus. She looked up from the control panel. She watched the five Lions and Lotor's vessel pass through the Teludav portal. They would be so far away from the five of them. Nayni's stomach churned at the thought of it. If they needed to get out quickly, Allura could open a small wormhole with the limited power from the Blue Lion. These Other Alteans had somehow managed to block her abilities before. Nayni hoped that wouldn't be a problem again.

It wouldn't just be an issue for Allura. She looked at Coran. The blue light of the display lit up the lines of his distinguished face. His expression was stern with concentration. He hadn't gotten much rest. If they needed to make a jump again, she didn't know if he could handle it. The thought of seeing him crumpled on the floor again, near death, filled her with fear. She needed to shake that off. The Marmora fighters swirled around the Castle like predatory birds. Nayni had seen what they could do in battle twice now but it only alleviated her anxiety by the slightest.

They'd be facing off with The Advisor again and possibly his Queen. He'd come for Nayni when she'd been at her most vulnerable state. It had been terrifying but now she was furious. Now she was out for blood. Coran grabbed her by the hand. Nayni's gaze flickered up the length of his arm. She looked into his violet eyes.

"Are you ready?" Coran asked.

His tone was gentle but he was just as determined as she was. Nayni nodded. If they managed to pull this off, she'd be facing another version of her dead wife. It was hard for her to even think about that right now. Coran started typing into the control panel again. The Castle bucked as it swerved around. She needed to get to her station but Nayni paused.

"Coran," Nayni said.

He craned his neck to look at her. He seemed so concerned for her. Nayni seized him by the collar and jumped onto her tiptoes. Their lips met. She kissed him with a hungry rashness. She kissed him as if it would be for the last time. Coran seemed very pleased with her new found boldness.

"So we don't get distracted," Nayni said.

She flashed him a wink before she headed for her station. Coran shook his head as he manned the Castle's helm. The tiniest of smirks was on his face.

"Now, I'm much more distracted than I was before," Coran said.

If Nayni was perfectly honest now she was too. But she wasn't going to admit that her little plan had failed. The stars flashed by them like streaks of paint on a black canvas as they barreled towards their destination. She could feel that familiar terror creeping in the closer they got to the Other Castle. The Blades ships flanked them on both sides. Now she had the entire arsenal of the Castle at their disposal. She would not let the Advisor get his claws on her again.

The Castle rumbled as Coran brought it's engines to full speed. His hands moved over the controls like a musician playing an instrument. The familiar visage of the twisted black and red Castle soared by them. A swath of crimson trailed behind it like a banner. The Marmora fighters broke formation. They swarmed around the Other Castle. Just as they fired off their violet-blue lasers the scarlet barrier erupted around the enemy vessel. The Other Castle wasn't returning fire. The last time they'd come upon it, they had not hesitated to attack. There were no combat drones. There was no red laser fire. There was just the sound of the Marmora rounds bouncing off of the enemy's particle barrier.

Static crackled over the communications system. The feeds from Kolivan and Keith's ships flickered until they vanished from the screen. Panic flashed in Coran's eyes for the briefest of moments. He started typing frantically into the control panel in an attempt to restore their communications. He managed to get the Blades back on their radar, though their voices were hard to decipher from the overwhelming static. It was nearly impossible to understand what they were saying.

The main display flickered and went black. Nayni felt a chill run down her spine. Everything on her control panel seemed to be operating. The Castle alarms weren't going off. They just couldn't see the main display. The ear-splitting static finally ceased. They watched the Marmora ships dancing around the Other Castle. The purple fighters weaved through space even though they had nothing to dodge. The main display flickered on again. All they saw was the standard blue startup image. The communications module came back to life with a soft hum.

"If you tell your insects to stop stinging, then we can talk."

There was no mistaking the sound of that voice. Coran and Nayni exchanged nervous looks. By now they knew this was going to happen. They had heard so little from Lotor but he had made it very clear just who they were facing. The voice coming over the speakers was deeper and huskier but it still was undeniable that it belonged to the other Allura. It belonged to the Queen.

The static returned and the images of the Bladesmen flickered back on the main display. Coran's hand hovered over the transmit button. He looked to Nayni. She let out a sigh and shook her head.

"We're supposed to be distracting them," Nayni said.

The memories of the mind meld came rushing back to her. She pushed those images and feelings out of her head. She had to. She took a deep breath.

"So let's distract them, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

Coran still hesitated. He bit down on his bottom lip. Neither of them liked it but they needed to give Lotor and the Paladins as much time as they possibly could. Coran hit the transmit button. He shook his head slowly as he spoke.

"Keith-cease firing," Coran said.

There was a loud crackle and a popping sound that came over the speakers.

"Are you sure?" Keith pressed.

It was probably a horrible idea but they'd be at the ready.

"I'm sure," Coran said.

They watched the Marmora fighters peel off.

"We'll be ready," Keith assured over the transmitter.

The fighters pulled back towards the Castle and regrouped. Nayni stared at the Other Castle. It's twisted, jagged obsidian silhouette cut a swath of pure darkness through the starry spacescape. Every dobash they could waste was just more time for the Paladins to get to Tomyko. Coran and Nayni stared at the enemy vessel in silence. They were waiting for anything. They could be confronted with another transmission or an assault of laser fire. Nayni stood by Coran's side. She stuffed her hands behind her back to try and hide their trembling. Coran stood tall. There wasn't even a glimmer of fear in his eyes.

The main display flickered. A twitching and grainy image appeared on the screen. The interference was so intense they couldn't really make sense of what they were seeing. It was just a storm of grey, red and black static. Nayni didn't need to see anything. She didn't want to see what this warped version of Allura looked like. The laugh that came over the sound system made Nayni feel ill. It didn't belong to the Queen. It was the Advisor. Coran went pale.

"Well, well, well," The Advisor hissed. "You're gorgeous but, not nearly as gorgeous as me."

Nayni sneered. They heard the sound of the Queen letting out an irritated groan. The image on the screen flickered and for a tik and they got a glimpse of their nemesis. The Queen was barely recognizable as Allura. She looked so haggard and drained. Her hair looked dry and brittle and was so long that it was brushing against the floor. The Advisor was just the same. He had Coran's features, he possessed his voice, but he looked as if he'd walked through the realm of death and returned. Nayni was fixated on the curl of his white mustache before the imaged fizzled back to static again.

"Must you always toy with people like playthings?" The Queen sighed.

Nayni would give him something to toy with. She wanted revenge for what he'd done to her. The Advisor just cackled. Coran seemed deeply troubled by hearing his laugh coming out in that hoarse tone. The Queen snapped at him and he fell silent.

"Hand over your weapon—the giant warrior—and we will let you live," The Queen said.

Coran snorted. They didn't have a Voltron. But the fact that they were asking about it told them quite a bit. They had been impressed and maybe even frightened by it. Nayni hoped the latter was true. Coran twirled the end of his mustache and flashed an innocent grin.

"Um-yes, I'm afraid he's out getting groceries at the moment," Coran said. "I could let him know you stopped by though."

The Queen growled. A loud bang came from the speaker along with a string of curse words.

"He's just as stupid as you are!" The Queen seethed.

It appeared that some things were indeed universal across realities.

"You don't truly wish to die do you?" The Queen said. "Just give us what we want and you can live out your lives happily in servitude."

That offer sounded quite a bit like slavery to Nayni. Coran opened his mouth. He clearly was intending to say something clever in return but he was cut off. The Advisor spoke instead. His voice seemed to slither over the communications module.

"I know you'd like that, Nayni," The Advisor hissed.

Nayni shivered in disgust. She felt that terror creeping up again. It was seeping out from her very core.

"Well—the _other_ you liked it," The Advisor teased. "She quite liked it when I tied her up."

Nayni gulped. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with that idea but it did not sound particularly appealing coming from his vile mouth. It was as if his words were winding their way into her brain. She felt as if she couldn't move or breath again. Nayni was shaking. She felt like he was invading her very thoughts. Her face was gnarled in anger. The rage within her was rising. She could feel it starting to smother out the fear.

"Just give us that weapon, Nayni," The Advisor cooed. "Give it to me. Give it to me and I will make you feel things that he never could."

Nayni stepped up to the control panel. She could feel the warmth radiating from Coran by her side.

"You're nothing compared to him, you dried up quiznacking bunghopper," Nayni snapped.

She slammed her fist on the control panel. The Castle's main cannon fired off. The blue laser pierced through the veil of space and slammed into the red particle barrier. The video feed cut as a barrage of red laser fire rained down on them. The Blades ships lunged forwards. The fighters weaved through the lasers with ease. The Castle bucked and jerked as the rounds smashed into their shields. Nayni lost her footing but Coran grabbed her by the waist before she fell. Coran flashed her that devilish grin.

"I thought we were trying to distract them?" Coran said.

Nayni scampered over to her station.

"He ticked me off. He was an idiot that talked far too much for his own good," Nayni said.

She started adjusting the dials of the panel and unleashed the combat drones. Coran seemed to be terribly amused by her comment. The Castle shook as another round impacted the particle barrier. Nayni watched one of the enemy drones explode as a Marmora fighter blasted it into oblivion. Coran was adjusting the Castle's targetting parameters. Nayni could hear the soft hum of the main cannon charging up again.

"You've said the same thing about me, Madame," Coran teased. "So how am I any better?"

This wasn't exactly the best time for a bantering session. Nayni fired off the secondary defenses and watch a trail of explosions erupt across the battlefield as the lasers sliced through the enemy drones. He was still one of the most infuriating people she had ever met. Nayni let out a sigh of frustration. They could die at any moment and Coran still felt the need to be a cheeky little quiznack.

"Thirteen times, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

Coran waved his hand over the main display. His targets were illuminated in red.

"I believe it was fourteen, actually," Coran corrected.

Nayni slammed her hand on the trigger mechanism. The Castle's main cannon fired off. The vessel rumbled as the massive laser sliced through the battlefield and slammed into the enemy's barrier. The red particle shield flickered around the impact zone. Nayni glanced over her shoulder and shot him a dirty look.

"You may be the bigger idiot actually," Nayni snapped.

Coran glanced up from his control panel and smirked.

"Yes but my mustache is far more sophisticated," Coran said.

This was true. The Castle shook again and Nayni braced herself on her control panel. His stupid jokes were stripping all the terror away from the situation. She needed this. He wasn't just being an idiot. He was putting on a show for her. Coran was stealing away all her fears again. The pressure to succeed was so immense it had been crushing earlier. She'd looked their enemy in the eye now. It had been just a glimpse but he'd stood by her. They'd stood together.

* * *

Lance wrapped his fingers more tightly around the grip of his rifle. Pidge's cloaking system had gotten them on board the prison vessel with little effort. Their Lions were safely tucked away under a hidden nook of the ship's hull. Allura and Shiro were hiding on an asteroid, their Lions were poised and ready to jump in at the slightest sign of trouble. They all thought it was for the best that she wasn't present during their first encounter with Tomyko. From what Lotor had said, that could've made things get really ugly.

The Blue Paladin kept his back pressed against the wall of the hallway. Pidge was scrolling through her computer interface on her wrist. She'd been able to bring up a rough map of the ship's layout after they'd hacked their way through the airlock. Hunk wasn't exactly a pro at being stealthy but Lance felt better having the firepower from his Yellow Bayard with them. It was critical for them to go unnoticed for as long as possible. Once the guards were alerted, it would frankly become a shit show.

The interior of the ship was freaky. The structure looked so similar to the Castle. Lance hadn't really seen any other Altean vessels so he had nothing else to compare it to. It just all felt so off. The angles of the walls were sharper. The lighting was dimmer and everything just felt and looked so much darker. Lotor was the only one that seemed unphased but he'd seen this before. That guy was like a Goth Prince anyway so he was probably digging this aesthetic.

Two guards clad in dark red armor walked across the hallway. Lotor and the Paladins ducked into an alcove. They all stood rigid, holding their breath until the guards' footfalls drifted into the distance. Hunk let out a sigh of relief. You'd think after all of these missions they'd run that he wouldn't get so anxious but the big guy still got so worked up. Lance gave Hunk a reassuring pat on his shoulder. The Blue Paladin could see his reflection in Hunk's helmet.

"Take it easy, Hunk, we're almost there," Lance said.

Well, he was pretty sure they were almost there. That's what Pidge had said the last time she looked at her map. They all hovered around the tiny green display on her wrist. Lotor was so close to Lance he could smell the dude. Lance wrinkled his nose. Pidge was typing into her interface. Lance could read the map but everything else on the display just looked like gibberish to him.

"She should be just around this corner," Pidge said. "I'm just trying to gain access to a security code so we don't trip an alarm when we let her out."

This place was nothing like Beta Traz had been. It seemed smaller and more cramped. It definitely wasn't meant to hold prisoners for long. Lotor peeked around the wall to keep an eye out while Pidge tried to work. Hunk was fogging up his helmet from the deep, slow breaths he was taking in. The dude knew how to calm himself down. Lance just let him do his thing. He wondered how things were going for Coran and Nayni right now. Shit, he was worried about Keith too. They were probably in the thick of it right now. The transmitter in Lance's helmet crackled. It was definitely going to be Shiro checking on them.

"How's it going in there, guys?" Shiro asked over the communicator.

Lance smirked. The Black Paladin was so easy to predict but that's why he was a good leader. He cared about them. Pidge kept scrolling through her computer display. Her eyes were narrowed and the green light of the screen reflected off of her helmet.

"I'm just trying to get a security code-" Pidge said. "-and I've got it."

She smiled with a great deal of satisfaction.

"Let's go," Pidge said.

They waited for a moment to see if any more guard patrols would come by. They crept down the hallway. Lotor didn't make a sound as he moved. It was really freaking creepy. The Galra Prince had his sword clutched in his hand. He was ready to whip that blade through anyone that came in their path. Hunk wasn't exactly stealthy. He was trying his best but it was pretty hard for a guy that big to be sneaky. Lotor looked around the corner. The hallways were so dark it was hard to see. There were rows and rows of doors along the length of the narrow passage.

Lance could hear the muffled sound of tortured cries and sobs as they made their way past the cells. _That_ was similar to Beta Traz at least. It was hard to think that these were Alteans. These were supposed to be the good guys but they were just as awful as the Galra. Pidge signaled for the Paladins to stop. They stared at the cell door before them. The thick metal looked impossible to penetrate. A series of numbers printed in Altean were crammed onto the tiny nameplate on the door. The only way to look inside was a small slit in the center of the door.

Lotor approached the door. Lance didn't like that he had to take the lead for this part of the mission but it made sense. He leaned in close to the slit. His hands were pressed against the surface of the cold, maroon metal.

"Tomyko," Lotor whispered. "Are you there?"

"Lotor, you escaped!"

Her accent sounded so similar to Coran's. Nayni's was a weird mix. It sounded Australian sometimes and almost British at others. Lance wasn't really surprised to see these alternate reality Alteans sounded so similar to the ones he knew though. Lotor nodded to Pidge. The Green Paladin held her computer interface up to the control panel on the wall. Her machine whistled and beeped as it input the security code she'd stolen. Lotor leaned into the slit again. He seemed to be struggling to see what was within the cell.

"I've brought friends. We're getting you out of here," Lotor said.

Lotor hesitated before he continued.

"Some of them may be quite familiar to you and not exactly in a good way," Lotor said.

The locks of the cell door clanked as they slid open. Lotor braced himself against the door and prevented it from opening.

"Try not to throw a tantrum when you see them," Lotor said.

Lotor pulled away from the door. The door screeched as the massive hunk of metal slid to the side. Tomyko emerged from the darkness. She was pretty hot, for an older lady, even after being locked up in a dark cell for a few days. Her long red hair was slightly unkempt. It ran all the way to the middle of her back. Her tawny complexion was flawless except for that pink scar that ran across the bridge of her nose. The wrinkles about her eyes and at the edges of her mouth weren't deeply defined. Her expression fell when she looked over the Paladins. She looked like she felt guilty.

"It can't be," Tomyko gasped. "The rebels from Earth?"

Lance and Hunk exchanged quizzical looks. Pidge just seemed fascinated. Lotor grabbed Tomyko by the hand and tugged her out of the doorway.

"The time for questions comes later. We need to leave," Lotor pressed.

They sprinted back down the hallway. Lance tilted his head as he spoke into the communicator.

"We've secured the package, Shiro," Lance said.

He smirked. He loved saying cool crap like that. It was like he was living out an action movie.

"Good! Hurry up and get out of there!" Allura said over the transmitter.

Tomyko's eyes widened. She skidded to stop. Her eyes darted nervously between the four of them.

"That's—that's the Queen," Tomyko stammered.

Lotor just let out a sigh of frustration.

"I said questions come later," Lotor said. "Just trust me."

Tomyko stiffened. She didn't hesitate for long before she just nodded. The only place she could run back to was that musty cell. No one would want to go back to that. They started down the hallway again. Their footfalls echoed off of the walls of the hallway. They just needed to get to the airlock. Once they were out, it would just be a straight shot back to the rendezvous point. Nothing ever came that easily though. Lance was just waiting for something to go wrong.

They slid around a corner and were met by a pair of Altean guards clad in black and red armor. They all froze in place. The Altean guards looked them up and down. They cocked their guns and pointed them at the Paladins. Of course, he was right. This one was one of the many times that Lance really wished he hadn't been though. Lance held up his rifle, Pidge and Lotor readied their weapons, and Hunk started to power up his gatling gun. Things were about to get really messy.

* * *

The Castle shook and the blue particle barrier flickered. Sweat was rolling down Coran's forehead. The view of the battlefield was nothing but a blur of red and blue laser fire ricocheting off of their particle barriers. The inky abyss of space was illuminated by the contrasting light. Somehow, the Marmora ships were still holding out. There'd been a few close calls but the expert pilots had managed to stay alive. But they were all running out of steam.

Nayni's hands were throbbing from manning the controls for so long. She couldn't give in now. It was more than obvious that this was going to be a stalemate. The only way this was ending was with someone fleeing from the battle. They weren't going to be the ones running away this time. The Other Castle ceased firing. Nayni furrowed her brow.

The scarlet particle barrier around the enemy vessel was faded and flickering. She couldn't imagine those greedy ruggleheads would ever retreat. The communications module on the bridge crackled.

"Somethings wrong!" Keith said over the transmitter.

Coran leaned over the control panel. His breaths were deep and desperate from exhaustion.

"I think they're going to make a jump," Coran said.

The last thing Nayni wanted was Coran powering a Teludav jump of their own. He was too drained from the battle. Nayni watched as the red beams of the enemy Teludav started to power up. They gleamed from the tips of the ship's cannons.

"We have to follow them!" Nayni said. "We can't let them get to the Paladins!"

Coran gripped onto the holographic levers of the steering mechanism. His eyes narrowed with determination.

"Hang close, Blades, or this isn't going to work," Coran said.

They were met with crackled responses but nothing really indicating an affirmation. Nayni braced herself on her battle station as the Castle lunged forward. The red Teludav portal ripped through the vacuum of space. Coran steered the Castle so closely to the enemy vessel that the nose of the ship was being singed by their engine's exhaust. The Castle bucked as they slammed through the enemy's portal. The two Castles weaved and swirled around each other as they plummeted through the portal. Red lightning crackled around them and danced along the sleek hull of the ships. Nayni gritted her teeth as they raced down the wormhole. The vessels were so dangerously close to slamming into one another.

Coran pushed forward on the throttle. The Castle's engines roared in protest but the massive vessel plunged toward the wormhole's exit. The Castle was jerking and rumbling so violently that Nayni thought the ship was going to fall apart. They pushed past the Other Castle. Their vessel bucked as it slid through the portal's exit. The ship swerved and jerked as they spilled out into another battlefield.

Coran's muscles were flexed and tense as he struggled to regain control of the Castle. The spacescape before them was lit up with explosions and laser fire. The prison vessel was firing off rounds at random and combat drones were swirling through the asteroid field like wasps. Only the Blue and Black Lions could be seen. The Other Castle thundered out of the portal. The red chasm was swallowed up behind them. The Blades ships were nowhere to be seen. Nayni brought up the particle barrier as Coran steered the vessel back around to face their nemesis.

"The Blades?" Nayni pressed.

Coran shook his head.

"They must've not made it in before the wormhole closed," Coran said. "We'll have to make due without them."

Hopefully where ever they had gotten spat out was safe. Nayni deployed more of the combat drones as the enemy Castle started firing upon them relentlessly. They would have to turn her into a cloud of ashes before she let them lay a single finger on her Paladins. The communications module crackled to life again. The voices coming over the speakers were garbled but they could still make out what they were saying. It was Shiro.

"Nice timing, guys, things were starting to get a little hairy," Shiro said.

The Black Lion sliced through a cluster of enemy fighters with its jaw blade. Coran seemed rather titillated now.

"Can I make a pun about shaving, Nayni?" Coran teased.

Nayni just shook her head and smiled. The Castle jerked as a round from the enemy cannons slammed into the barrier. They fired off a flurry of rounds in response. She was starting to feel a twinge of fear when the other three Lions finally arrived on the scene. Lotor's ship was hot on their tails and making a b-line for the Castle. The orange and purple vessel swerved as it dodged the red beams that were flying past it. Nayni prepared the hangar doors for their arrival. She knew who was on that ship. There was only one reason for Lotor to immediately make a run for it. The monitor lit up like a bonfire when Lotor's ship slid into the landing bay.

A chill ran down Nayni's spine as she heard Shiro's command come over the sound system. She held her breath as she watched the five Lions soar in formation. They danced around each other, weaving like swirls of colorful ribbons in the wind. That familiar and comforting explosion of light erupted in the midst of the battle and Voltron was formed. The superweapon dove straight back into the fray.

The massive yellow cannon formed on Voltron's shoulder. The robot shook as the cannon charged up. The blue rounds exploded from the barrel of the cannon. They split off and weaved through the battlefield slamming into each target with such precision and power that their enemies had no hope of dodging the attack. The asteroid field became aflame with the glow from the fresh explosions. Debris soared through space like confetti.

The Other Castle began to focus all its firepower on Voltron. The robot held up its massive shield and the red rounds bounced off. With each impact Voltron took, the robot was pushed back. Shiro's voice came roaring over the sound system again.

"Any chance of getting us out of here?" Shiro pressed.

Nayni and Coran were firing off everything they possibly could at the Other Castle. The transmission module crackled from interference.

"They're stopping me from using the Teludav again!" Allura seethed.

They were so much closer to the enemy vessel than they had been last time. Nayni didn't know if Coran could pull it off either. He looked so exhausted. Coran's hands moved over the main control panel. The Castle's alarms were blaring in protest but he continued to prep the Teludav for a jump.

"C'mon! There's gotta be something we can do!" Lance pleaded over the transmitter.

Nayni could hear Allura let out a low, frustrated growl over the transmitter. Voltron pushed forward as it fought off another barrage of laser fire.

"I've had my fill of this," Allura snapped.

Voltron pulled back. The Blue Lion started to shake. They could hear the sound of Allura's voice straining over the speakers. Allura let out a desperate gasp and a wave of quintessence erupted from Voltron. They could actually see it. Nayni was in shock. The wave of blue lightning slammed into the enemy Castle. The black vessel tumbled backward and slammed into an asteroid. Chunks of rock and metal were flung in all directions. The Paladins cheered and Nayni found herself hollering too. Whatever the Princess had done, had cleared up all the interference to their communications.

Allura didn't hesitate to power up the Teludav. The firing mechanism hummed as the Teludav charged up. The violet-blue portal erupted before them. Voltron and the Castle dove into the wormhole and it slammed closed behind them. They'd done it. They'd actually done it. Nayni's heart was racing and she couldn't wipe the smile away from her face. She was so revved up that she barely felt any nausea when they emerged from the portal. They were galaxies out of reach now.

Nayni couldn't stop laughing. She scampered over to Coran and leaped upon him like a giddy teenage girl. She engulfed him in her arms.

"They did it! They did it!" Nayni cheered. "Did you see what she did?! It was incredible!"

Coran didn't get a chance to respond. She smothered his sweat-drenched face with kisses. Coran grabbed Nayni by the back of her neck. She felt his long fingers slide through her damp brown hair. His red mustache scratched against her olive skin. This situation had escalated rather quickly. Maybe it was from the rush of adrenaline or the thrill of their hard-won victory but she was so hungry for him.

Coran muted the communications module and the voices of the elated Paladins were cut off. He pushed her against the main control panel and Nayni wrapped her legs around his waist. He kissed along the curve of her neck. He gently bit the flesh of her neck like a ravenous animal. Nayni let out a gasp.

"Lockdown the bridge—lockdown the quiznacking bridge," Nayni stammered.

Coran typed into the control panel. Red lights started to flash on the bridge. The metal shutters crept around the dome that looked out on the spacescape. Another set of thick steel doors slammed over the archway to the bridge. The lights dimmed and an alarm started to sound. They weren't doddling this time. It was quick and sloppy but so satisfying.

They both took in deep hungry breaths. The scent of his sweat filled her nostrils and he was radiating so much heat she thought she was going to melt. Coran cupped Nayni's round face in his hands. His mustache tickled her cheeks as he planted gentle kisses on her face. Her skin still tingled from that blissful release. Her head felt clear for the first time in days. They glanced at the main display and saw that the Lions had returned to the hangar. Nayni felt a mild twinge of panic.

She slid off of the control panel and yanked her pants back on. How could she have let her impulses get the best of her? They had just finished a critical mission and her first instinct had been to have her way with him. Coran finished buckling his belt. He was still red in the face and panting. It was going to be difficult to hide this encounter from the others.

Coran ran his fingers through his damp, fiery hair and typed into the control panel. The alarms fell silent, the red lights ceased flashing. Nayni fumbled with her hair and tried to tuck the loose brown strands back into her bun. The lockdown lifted. The security doors retracted and the shutters pulled back. The twinkling stars of the surrounding system were revealed again. Nayni tugged on her shirt until she felt she was back in a presentable state.

Coran flashed that devilish smile and raised a brow. He looked so deeply satisfied with himself. He was dripping with a smug air of arrogance.

"Do you think my doppelganger could've satiated you that well?" Coran teased.

It was a most inappropriate and awful comment to make. Why he still insisted on testing her patience was a mystery to her. Nayni just took a deep breath and shook her head. She found herself smiling anyway.

"No one compares to you, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

He was her favorite idiot across all of the infinite possibilities of every reality and she knew that Coran was well aware of this.


	20. Waste

_Author's Note: I was sitting on this update for a few days. I was one of the people affected by the mysterious not being able to upload thingeroo. So sorry for the delay!_

* * *

Nayni was making her way to Allura's room. A bag with some of Coran's clothes was tucked under her arm. He'd finally moved off of her quiznacking couch but she kept managing to find stray shirts or pairs of socks around her living room. The fabric of her sofa still reeked of that wretched spiced tea. She'd tried to convince herself that she was actually relieved now that she had her apartment back to herself but that wasn't truly the case. Nayni missed having Coran around terribly.

Nayni was just coming home to a dark, empty apartment again. She'd sit alone on her couch staring at the same old teledramas shoveling iced confections in her face. When Coran had been there, they'd talk and laugh and he'd sip on that disgusting tea in his silken pajamas and fluffy slippers. She was actually having a harder time sleeping without him around. It just all felt wrong. It was difficult to admit but it was the sad truth of her reality.

When he'd finally started to move back permanently to his quarters, he'd acted so strangely. Coran acted as if he was severing a relationship with her. There were no ties to break. They were still friends. They were still colleagues. They were well aware that this situation wasn't going to permanent. Things had just felt surprisingly at ease with him. There was still that horribly awkward barrier that Nayni had put up but she'd thoroughly enjoyed sharing his company. It had never felt like an over saturation.

The Royal Palace was still coming to life slowly after the break of dawn. Nayni had awoken early, yet again. So she had just gotten ready for the day and began the march to her post. She was just going to drop off these clothes at Coran's office. It was going to be horribly awkward but she rather it just be over with as soon as possible. This had to be the last of it. Unless he'd snuck some socks in between her couch cushions this would be her final delivery. Then she could finally smother the memory of their time as roommates.

She came upon the door to his office. Coran was already hard at work. He'd had no rest since the funeral. The affairs of the state had only slowed down by the slightest. He still pushed himself too far. It worried her. All Nayni had to deal with was long talks with the Princess about her feelings. The loss of the Black Paladin and his homeworld hadn't really impacted the Royal Guard much. She'd taken on a few extra duties though, they were mostly unofficial. She felt the need to protect someone _other than_ the Princess now.

Nayni typed into the control panel on the wall. The sleek, polished door slid open. His office had been in shambles since the funeral. Stray pieces of paper and datapads were strewn across his desk. Dirty cups with dried up tea bags were stacked on his shelf. It was a weird combination of pure chaos and his unique aesthetic. Coran was hovering over his desk. His eyes were red from lack of sleep. He looked so haggard and worn out. Even the light blue markings on his cheeks were dull. He'd probably been here all night.

His face lit up when she entered the room. That smile tugged on her heart. She'd meditated quite a bit about their relationship since he'd moved out. Nayni had come so close to telling him how she felt several times since then. She always talked herself out of it though. They both had so much on their plate right now. They couldn't allow anything to interfere with their duties. Absolutely nothing.

Nayni rested the satchel of his belongings on the plush velvet chair before his desk. His expression fell when his violet eyes fell upon it.

"You didn't have to bring that to me," Coran said. "I could've come by and picked it up."

She didn't think he was telling the truth but Nayni wasn't going to push it. She'd been trying to be more gentle with him. Her sass and quips did make him smile but he didn't need her firm hand now. He didn't need her aggression. She needed to be there for him, even if it was just as a friend.

"You don't exactly have the time, Mister Smythe," Nayni teased.

That made him chuckle weakly. His ears were drooping and there were dark circles under his eyes. She detested seeing him in this state.

"Mister Smythe, when was the last time you ate anything?" Nayni asked.

He stroked his mustache and had to concentrate a great deal on the query. That alone already told Nayni the answer to her question. That man would sacrifice everything if he had a task to get done. Coran cocked an eyebrow and gritted his teeth.

"I think-lunch- yesterday?" Coran said.

He didn't seem entirely sure about his answer. Nayni shook her head. She came around his desk and tried to step around the stray papers that were scattered across his carpet.

"Well, c'mon then," Nayni said. "We're getting you something hot for breakfast, you idiot."

She tugged Coran from his chair. He didn't exactly put up a fight either.

"That's not necessary, Madame," Coran said.

She was a nag but she got paid to do it so she was very good at it. She wasn't letting this go.

"Everyone needs to eat, including _you_ ," Nayni said, wagging a finger in his face.

Coran just sighed and nodded. He snatched up a navy blue jacket that was hanging rather precariously off of a lamp. She had some time to ensure that he was taking care of himself. Allura wouldn't be expecting her for another half of a varga. She followed him out into the hallway. Coran's shoulders were slumped and he was dragging his feet as they started to head for the Palace's kitchen. She'd had a tendency to have trouble keeping pace with him but he was so sluggish today that this was a non-issue.

"When was the last time you slept a full night?" Nayni pressed. "And in an actual bed, _not_ my couch, and _not_ at your desk."

Coran let out a heavy sigh. She imagined it had been quite some time. Nayni craned her neck to look him in the eye. He had a rather guilty look on his face when their gaze met.

"I haven't slept a full night since I moved back to my quarters," Coran admitted.

He couldn't keep carrying on like this. They rounded a corner. There were more Alteans scuttling around the Palace now. They'd all probably gone to sleep and woken again while Coran had kept his nose to the grindstone the whole night through. Nayni's cheeks puffed up with her rising frustration.

"Mister Smythe, you must take better care of yourself," Nayni seethed. "How can you possibly serve the King when you're perpetually on the verge of collapsing?"

He couldn't protest this. She knew this was one of the few ways to get through to him. They both shared the same values. It helped her mask the deeply rooted need she had to take care of him. She could always toss out duty as her excuse to pester him. The curl on Coran's head bounced as he nodded unenthusiastically.

"I know, I know, Madame Nordontu," Coran sighed.

They came upon the door to the kitchen. Nayni hovered in front of the passage. Trying to intimidate him into taking care of himself wasn't exactly the best way to go about things. She'd let her temper slip a bit. It was difficult for her to watch him do this to himself. Nayni wanted him back on her couch. She wanted to have him near again so she had a reason to smile in the morning. She wanted him near so she could take care of him. She smiled at him warmly and placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Do take better care of yourself, Mister Smythe," Nayni said. "Someone around the Palace needs to keep driving me insane and all of my Guardsmen are far too loyal and disciplined to take up your mantle if some ill fate should befall you."

The smile that brought to his face made her melt. He made her stomach churn and tingle. She hated it but she welcomed that warm sensation on some deep level.

"I shall do my best not to disappoint you, Madame Nordontu," Coran said.

Nayni felt a heat rush to her cheeks and ears. She had to turn away from him to hide her furious blushing. She pushed her way into the kitchen. She could feel his presence right behind her back. The kitchen was hot and full of activity. Alteans of every shape, color, and size were scrambling around. This area of the Palace never seemed to rest. There were always steaming pots stacked across the stove and the sounds of whisks scraping against the sides of bowls. The smells were always so deliciously torturous. Nayni was a terrible cook but she'd give her left leg to work in this kitchen and eat all of this delectable food.

One of the servants skidded to a stop. The poor girl was covered with a light dusting of flour and her apron was stained with some kind of sticky yellow batter. Her face was flushed and her pink hair was sticking out from beneath her white cap. She seemed to panic a bit when she looked over the two of them.

"C-Captain," The servant girl stammered. "Do you and the R-Royal Advisor need something?"

Nayni had rarely made trips here. She still didn't understand why this girl was so terrified. Though, Nayni did have a bit of a reputation for being a grouch. Most of the stories her Guardsmen spread around the Palace were exaggerated but they certainly helped a woman of her minute stature come off as a bit more intimidating. Nayni tried to smile at her warmly but she did an awful job of it. Her grin just seemed to terrify the girl even more.

Coran stepped in before the Guard Captain could traumatize the girl any further. Despite his exhaustion, he managed to present himself in a rather warm and welcoming manner. His smile put the girl at ease and she even seemed to be giggling a little bit. They'd gotten a bit older but Coran still had a habit of turning Alteans into puddles of food goo with his charms. He leaned forward and spoke to her in a gentle, soft tone.

"Would it be possible for me to get a cup of spiced tea? And maybe a bunga fruit bun?" Coran asked.

His eyes darted over to Nayni and a wicked grin spread across his face.

"Make that two bunga fruit buns, with _extra_ icing on one," Coran said.

Nayni tried to hide her furious blushing with a scowl. Even in this state of pure enfeeblement he still felt the need to consider her desires. The servant nodded rather enthusiastically and scampered off. Coran seemed rather smug over this interaction. Nayni wasn't sure if it was because that servant girl clearly wished to bed him or if it was due to the fact that he knew exactly what Nayni had dreamed about for breakfast. It didn't matter in the end. He already seemed to be rejuvenated even if it was only by the slightest of degrees.

He leaned against the sleek tiled wall of the kitchen. He drove her wild when he did that. The way his neck curved and how his hands rested on his hips made her swoon. The heavenly visage was only tainted by the dilapidated state of his spirits. Seeing him happy, even for this brief moment, meant everything to her. She wanted to make him feel this way every day. She wanted to be there for him whenever he needed her. Nayni wanted Coran to be there for every desperate moment that she'd needed him too.

The servant girl returned with his steaming cup of tea and their two bunga buns. Coran had the widest of smiles on his face as Nayni clutched the green, puffed pastry in her hand. Some of the warm, sticky icing rolled onto her thumb and she licked it off sheepishly. Coran chuckled and took a cautious sip of his tea. She kept telling herself that she hated the smell of that quiznacking stuff but it wasn't true. It always made her think of him and it drove her mad.

The chaos was still surrounding them. She didn't know the half of it but it was still there. He was helping put the universe back in order. He was carrying so much more of that burden than she was. There was always duty. It always came first to them but the ache of his departure had left her in agony. She thought she'd be okay. She thought she'd be strong enough to keep going but after getting that small taste of what their life could be like, Nayni didn't know if she could. It had been easier to do their duty when he was around.

Coran had just been snoring on her couch for a few weeks but even that had made it easier. She had someone to talk to when she'd gotten home. She had something to look forward to aside from sweets and teledramas. She watched Coran take a bite out of his bun. Some of the green crumbs still clung to the red hairs of his mustache. Nayni's hands were shaking. Nayni shoved a chunk of her bun in her mouth. The thick, grainy frosting tasted tangy and sweet. She barely chewed the bun before she gulped it down. Coran wiped the crumbs away from his mustache and sipped at his tea like a true gentleman. He did everything with such poise and grace even when he was in shambles.

She felt terrified but Nayni couldn't fight it anymore. They needed each other. She needed to have him around. And she desperately wanted him to be so much more than a friend. She'd ached for it for so long. Tomyko was long gone and Nayni knew her wife wouldn't want her to keep going on like this. Nayni had to tell him at least. She had to let him know that there was someone out in the universe that held him above all others. Even if he rejected her, it didn't matter. He needed to know that he wasn't just valuable to the King and the Princess. He was huge part of her world too.

Nayni gulped and wiped away some of the frosting from the edge of her mouth. She stared at the smear of it on her glove.

"M-Mister Smythe?" Nayni stammered.

Ruggle, she sounded like a child. His tired eyes flickered up to meet hers. She needed some excuse to get him alone later. This wasn't the time or the place. Nayni jiggled her leg nervously.

"I want you to have a proper meal tonight," Nayni said.

She tried to put on her best nagging nanny voice. She was leaning on that grumpy facade again to give her the strength.

"You'll come over for some real food tonight, won't you?" Nayni said.

She felt like she was going to soil herself. This was going to be a lot more than a meal. She was also a terrible cook so there was a good chance that she might accidentally poison him. Coran just shook his head and chuckled. He set his cup of tea down on the metal counter. She could barely look at that perfectly sculpted face of his.

"If I don't, will you shove me in a corner for five dobashes and scold me?" Coran teased.

Nayni chuckled despite the overwhelming terror she was feeling.

"Mayhaps," Nayni said.

It would probably be a disaster but at least she'd know she'd be sending him off to rest with a full stomach. That would bring her some sense of peace. Coran still looked exhausted but he seemed genuinely happy that she'd made the offer.

"You don't need to threaten me to get me to spend an evening with you, Madame Nordontu," Coran said.

That about killed her. She felt a jolt of joy run right through her heart. Nayni thought she was going to cry if she stuck around any longer. Nayni tugged on the ends of her sleeves and tried to straighten herself out a bit. She tried to slip back into that cold and stiff persona.

"Then I shall see you this evening," Nayni confirmed. "But now I must depart,-duty calls."

It always did. It always would. There would always be duty. And if Nayni kept waiting for it to ease up or fade away she would never get the chance. There would never be the right time. Tonight she was finally going to try and change that. She was finally trying to free herself from that crippling stagnation that had been holding her back for years. She was going to tell Coran Hieronymous Wimbleton Smythe just how much he meant to her.

* * *

The Castle's lounge was about to become the site of one of the most difficult debriefings that Nayni had ever experienced. Coran had provided her with some much-needed stress relief on the bridge but she was starting to feel tense again. At any moment, Lotor would be bringing Tomyko in to have what Nayni imagined would be a very awkward introduction. She was certainly more prepared for this emotional reunion than she had been a few days ago but it still felt so very wrong. This was something that shouldn't be taking place.

Allura was still clad in her Pink Paladin armor. The expression on her brown face was solemn. The Princess seemed to be working out the best way to approach this meeting. Nayni wasn't sure what would be the best way. Allura and Coran were a force of evil in this other reality. Tomyko was now going to be allied with mirror images of her greatest enemies. All of the Paladins were there, save for Pidge and Shiro. They were trying to prepare Tomyko for what she was about to see.

No amount of preparation was going to make this easier. Pidge might be able to explain the science behind it all and Shiro could connect with Tomyko, soldier to soldier. The craziest twist to Nayni was that Lotor was the one Tomyko had placed the most trust in. They still didn't even fully trust him. Though at this point in the game, it was pretty hard to cling to those old fears. He'd done nothing but help them.

Hunk and Lance were standing awkwardly behind the U-shaped black couch in the center of the room. Their armor was slightly scuffed from the recent battle. Lance had a particularly awful case of helmet hair. Allura took Nayni by the hand. Her large indigo eyes were full of warmth and empathy. The Princess smiled softly at her.

"If you feel it's too much, no one will mind if you make a hasty exit," Allura assured.

Nayni did feel like running but it was pointless. She'd have to face Tomyko eventually. It was better to get it over with now when she had a room full of family with her.

"Don't you fret, Lurie, I'll be fine," Nayni said.

Allura didn't seem to completely believe Nayni's response but she just accepted it and let things go. Nayni didn't know how many questions would get answered during this meeting. It was probably going to be rough enough going just for them to all meet. Nayni hadn't exactly reacted very well when she first saw Tomyko's transmission. Tomyko was about to get slapped in the face with entire universe's worth of contradictions. That fact made Nayni rethink the weight of the shock she'd felt.

The doors to the lounge slid open. Nayni felt her heart skip a beat. Her chest felt tight and it seemed as if her throat was starting to close up. Shiro and Pidge came in first. Their respective expressions seemed to contradict each other. Shiro's brow was furrowed in concern while Pidge seemed perfectly at ease. She actually seemed to be intrigued. The Black and Green Paladin stepped aside. Nayni felt her heart stop when she saw her.

Tomyko appeared with Lotor close behind her. The Altean that stood before them seemed nothing at all like the woman that Nayni had been married to. She was hardened and seemed cold. A fiery rage seemed to be burning behind her eyes. Nayni half expected Lotor to find the tension to be amusing but there was actually compassion in those golden eyes of his. It caught Nayni off guard.

"Tomyko, these are my allies," Lotor said.

He gestured to The Princess and Coran. Hearing him address them as allies felt strange. It must've felt even stranger for the Paladins. Tomyko's gaze was locked on the polished floors of the lounge. Her slender fists were clenched tightly. She was even shaking slightly. The edges of her slender red lips were twitching. Shiro and Hunk seemed ready to grab the red-head and pull her back. She looked like she was ready to leap at them. Tomyko took in a deep breath. Her face was red with anger.

"I'm sorry," Tomyko seethed. "I know you're not the same people but-"

Her eyes were glistening with angry tears.

"But seeing _you_ with _him_ , Nayni, makes me sick," Tomyko said.

This was off to splendid start, wasn't it? Nayni didn't even know how to respond to that. It felt like she was being stabbed in the throat. She had to keep reminding herself that it wasn't her Tomyko that disapproved. It wasn't _her_ wife that was disgusted by all of this. This was just a completely different person with her wife's face. Shiro hovered near Tomyko. He held out his hands to try and reassure her but he seemed very hesitant to actually touch her.

"I know this is all really overwhelming," Shiro said. "It's been pretty crazy for us too. You're not the only one feeling this way. But you've got nothing to fear with us, I promise."

His speech even calmed Nayni down a bit. It didn't seem to effect Tomyko very much. She refused to take a seat. She just stood rigidly by the door. Lotor stepped forward. His feet didn't even make the slightest sound as he walked across the floor. He moved like a specter in the night.

"My friends have morals that align rather closely with yours, Tomyko," Lotor said. "Possibly more so than mine do."

This concept seemed to trouble Tomyko greatly. It shocked her. She seemed to be holding back a torrent of words that she desperately wanted to spew at them all. Lotor gestured for her to sit with him and Tomyko reluctantly followed him. Pidge scampered over to Hunk while Shiro hung close to Tomyko and Lotor. When the Altean clad in red sat across from Nayni she nearly lost it. The way that woman looked at her, it made it all so much more clear that this wasn't her wife. She felt Coran's hand brush against hers.

Nayni wanted to take his hand so desperately but she didn't want to add insult to injury. The situation was already delicate enough. Allura leaned forward. Her hands were pressed together and her silver curls framed the curves of her face.

"I doubt there's anything I can say to reassure you," Allura said. "But I hope our actions speak for themselves. We've been fighting a war for many years as well, so we understand the struggles that you've been through."

The Princess spoke with such conviction and sincerity. She was so much like her father. Tomyko seemed caught off guard by the way Allura addressed her.

"Lotor said that you have been fighting Zarkon?" Tomyko asked.

She seemed to struggle to say those words. Allura nodded.

"Yes, in our world, he conquered most of the known universe," Allura explained. "He's been ruling for over ten thousand years."

Tomyko was clearly deeply disturbed by this. She covered her mouth, it looked like she was going to be sick. Allura went on to explain a brief history of what had happened. She told Tomyko about the construction of Voltron and how they'd been hibernating for thousands of years. It was a much less detailed retelling of events than the one Nayni had received. With every word that Allura uttered Tomyko just seemed to crumble more and more. Allura left out the fact that at one point Lotor had been their enemy. This didn't exactly surprise Nayni. Tomyko already seemed shaken enough.

Tomyko's reactions were already telling them so much. If their interactions with the Queen and the Advisor hadn't been enough now they truly knew just how drastically different Tomyko's reality was. Tomyko just kept shaking her head.

"Of all the quiznacking realities they decided to invade, they had to pick this one," Tomyko said. "Everything here is so backwards."

Pidge was completely fascinated by everything that was happening. Normally the Green Paladin was trying to log information on her computer but she just stood there staring at the new arrival and hanging on her every word.

"So it's safe to say that we're going to find everything about where you come from pretty crazy too," Pidge said.

It was an innocent and inquisitive comment but it seemed to strike a chord with Tomyko. It appeared that Pidge had managed to establish some desperately needed common ground. Tomyko ran her fingers through her luxurious red hair.

"I don't even know where to begin," Tomyko sighed.

Her gaze flickered over them all. Tomyko's eyes locked on Coran. There was a deeply rooted hatred there. It seemed to keep bubbling back up within her.

"You gave this to me," Tomyko said coldly as she gestured to her scar.

She sat back in her seat. She seemed even more confused now.

"Well— _not you_ ," Tomyko clarified.

Coran shifted in his seat. He seemed rather uncomfortable hearing that little tidbit.

"I'm sorry," Coran said. "I know this is hard. If you need to rest before we discu-"

Tomyko waved her hand in the air and shook her head. She looked as if she were about to retch.

"We don't have time for that," Tomyko said. "You all need to know what you're dealing with."

Hunk and Lance exchanged fearful glances. Tomyko looked over the humans, a desperate sadness and immense guilt seemed to be hanging over her.

"The five of you humans were in my world too," Tomyko explained. "I tried to help save your home but-"

Tomyko closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"We failed you," Tomyko said.

The idea of Earth being gone shook Lance to the core. Nayni could see it in his eyes. He stiffened and clenched his fists. Tomyko was trembling. It was barely noticeable but Nayni picked up on it.

"I should start from the beginning," Tomyko sighed.

She didn't seem able to look at Allura or Coran as she spoke.

"It all started going to ruggle when the comet hit Altea," Tomyko explained. "It opened a rift. We didn't realize what exactly it was at first but Alfor became obsessed with it. He started building the Castle with-"

Tomyko wrinkled her nose. She shot Coran a cold and venomous look.

"The Advisor helped engineer that monstrosity that would end up destroying thousands of planets and slaughtering billions," Tomyko explained. "Zarkon kept trying to stop it. He kept trying to warn Alfor that this was dangerous. He just wouldn't listen. He was so hungry for power."

Everything was truly backwards. It seemed that their worlds were polar opposites of each other. It was like looking into a reflection from a broken mirror.

"It ended up killing him," Tomyko said.

Allura covered her mouth to muffle her gasp. Hearing about her father's death was hard, no matter what the context was. Tomyko licked her lips before she continued.

"I was assigned as the young Prince Lotor's bodyguard," Tomyko explained.

The Galra Prince smirked. A new piece seemed to fit into the puzzle for him. Tomyko's gaze was fixed on Nayni. It made her feel so uncomfortable. She looked so angry that it made Nayni's skin crawl.

"You— _my_ Nayni was working with Allura," Tomyko explained. "I tried to get her to join me on Daibazaal. Altea was being torn apart by that rift but she insisted that it was her duty to be with the Princess. Allura was dying. Something about that rift was killing her just like it killed her father."

Tomyko was clenching her fist so tightly that she was shaking.

"I tried to come for her. I tried to get her away but The Advisor had some grand plan. Some grand idiotic plan but she believed it would work," Tomyko said. "He wanted to use the quintessence from the rift to cure Allura. It was madness."

Tomyko looked up at the ceiling. Her expression seemed to deaden.

"It _changed_ them both. When they crawled out of that rift, they weren't the same. They'd become monsters," Tomyko said. "And when I tried to rescue Nayni-he took her from me- _he killed her_."

Coran gripped Nayni's hand. Something felt wrong. Something in the way that Tomyko had spun this part of her tale just didn't feel right. She felt guilty for doubting Tomyko's words but she couldn't let it go.

"But-when we encountered the Advisor," Nayni began. "He said something that made it sound like your Nayni lived-at least for a while."

She didn't think it was appropriate to mention the bits about him tying her up. Her inquisition sent Tomyko into a fit of rage. Shiro, Hunk, and Lance crept up to her. They were poised to restrain her if needed.

"No! No!" Tomyko roared. "He's a liar! He's just toying with you! He killed her! Every word that comes out of his mouth is poison!"

Her bottom lip was trembling and her face was red. This outburst was not something that Nayni expected. It scared her. Lotor tried to calm her.

"It's all right," Lotor said. "We all have a bit to learn, just relax. It's better to channel that rage at our enemy rather than at each other."

The way he approached everything was so much colder and calculated than Allura. It was effective but felt too slick for Nayni's tastes. Tomyko took a few deep breaths. She refused to let anyone near her. She took a moment to collect herself before she continued.

"That rift destroyed Altea. The Queen and The Advisor slowly took over, system after system," Tomyko explained. "When all hope was lost, Zarkon sealed me and Lotor away in hibernation chambers. He hoped that someday we could restore peace."

She spoke with such bitterness.

"We awoke thousands of years later to a universe enslaved," Tomyko said. "We fought until the very end but we failed. _I failed him_. They had no idea that they'd finally killed him. They just put out a bounty on his head and hoped someone would find him."

She looked to Lotor. He seemed completely unaffected by what she'd just said.

"Except they had nothing to find until they came here," Tomyko said. "And they found _your_ Lotor."

Tomyko finally fell silent. She was still bristling with anger and hatred. Her story just felt so off. It felt so unnatural. But what else was Nayni to feel? It was all so foreign to her that she didn't expect to feel any other way. No one in the room seemed to know what to say. The room was tense from the immense emotions that her story had stirred in them all. They knew the history of this other reality. It wasn't complete but it was enough to gain an understanding of how things had come to be. There was still so much they needed to know but this first meeting had been so emotionally charged that no one seemed to know what to do. It was Shiro who finally broke the silence. It was always him.

"I think we all need a chance to process all of this," Shiro said. "It's been a rough day, especially for you Tomyko."

She nodded weakly. No one in the room was going to protest. This conversation alone had been more draining than the battle they'd just fought.

"Let's get some rest and regroup later," Shiro said. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us. We're going to need our heads clear and focused for whats to come."

* * *

Something awful had happened. Nayni could feel it in her gut. When the call had come over her radio that she was to report to King Alfor immediately, she knew it could only be bad news. This had never happened during her entire career as Captain of the Royal Guard. The Guardsman that had taken over her post seemed pretty oblivious. Allura knew too. She could see it in the Princess's indigo eyes. She didn't know what had happened but she knew her father. Allura knew he wouldn't call upon Nayni like this for a fleeting reason.

The day had started off so strangely all ready. She'd met with Coran this morning and arranged a dinner date. Nayni still couldn't believe she'd done that. Nayni had been so wrapped up in that plan ever since those words had slipped from her lips. She'd been trying to figure out just how she was going to tell him. This had all happened a few vargas ago and now she was worried that the world was falling apart.

She was winding her way through the Palace as quickly as her legs could carry her. There must've been some breach in security. That was the only explanation she could come up with. Things had been chaotic since the death of Zarkon so maybe something had slipped by her. But why would she be reporting directly to the King for such an offense? Nothing she could come up with could explain it. Something was just horribly, horribly wrong.

It had not been often that Nayni had come to the King's private quarters. It had been years since she'd even looked upon the ornately decorated doors. Two of her Guardsmen flanked the entryway. They went rigid and saluted her. She stiffly returned the gesture. She was scared to step through these doors. She knew only bad news lay on the other side.

The King's private chambers were dimly lit. The soft, royal blue carpet silenced the sound of Nayni's footsteps. The cream-colored walls were lined with shelves filled to the brim with exotic plant specimens from every corner of the universe. Allura had been starting to model her room after this. She idolized her father. Nayni did too. Well, every Altean did. Coran was already here. His presence made her stomach feel as if it were sinking. This was big.

Alfor was hovering over one of his miniature gardens. The blue artificial sunlight illuminated the delicate, transparent leafy foliage as if they were made of stars. The King rested his hands along the sleek rim of the planter. His silver hair was unkempt and had fallen in his face. He barely even glanced up from the garden to acknowledge Nayni.

The King's greetings were always so full of warmth. He always smiled at her and gave her a friendly hug. This was not like him at all. Never in all her years of service had she seen the King in such a state. The way Coran was looking at her made Nayni feel even worse. He looked sickly in the blue light of the indoor garden. He was already so exhausted and it seemed that his condition had worsened. Alfor let out a heavy sigh and dusted the soil from his hands.

"Are you aware of why I summoned you today, Nayni?" Alfor asked.

Her eyes darted between the King and his Royal Advisor. Coran's ears were drooped and he couldn't look her in the eye. He did that when he felt guilty about something. Her heart started to beat faster.

"No, sir," Nayni said.

Alfor chuckled. It was half-hearted and seemed to completely contradict the somber mood that was in the air.

"I had fully expected that Coran would've discussed this with you already, given your close friendship," Alfor said.

Nayni looked the red-head up and down. Coran bit down on his bottom lip and his eyes averted her gaze. They discussed quite a few things but even she knew that there were certain topics that were meant only for the ears of the Royal Advisor. Nayni had never pushed him nor had she particularly wanted to know. It was just the way things were. Alfor leaned forward. He grasped a delicate leaf between his fingers and examined the intricate pattern of the crystalline veins.

"We've been receiving some troubling reports about Galra ships attacking a few outlying systems," Alfor explained. "I had assumed it was just some frustrated refugees—at first."

Alfor ran his fingers along the edge of the leaf.

"They took two systems in the past few days," Alfor went on. "We had it confirmed today that Zarkon was the one who led these attacks."

Nayni felt ill. This wasn't possible. She had seen Zarkon's corpse. She'd seen Honerva's lifeless body at the funeral. They were dead. Nayni took a step back. Coran seized her by the arm to steady her.

"H-how?" Nayni stammered.

Coran's grip on her loosened but Nayni didn't slip from his grasp.

"We're not exactly sure how," Coran said."But it is really Zarkon."

In a universe where something as mystical and unknown as Voltron existed, was it truly that crazy? It still felt so insane. It felt so unnatural and unreal. Voltron had done some amazing things but it had never raised the dead. Nothing had ever had that power. Alfor looked up from his garden. His expression was grim.

"We are going to war, Captain," Alfor said.

He seemed pained by all of this. The King and Zarkon's relationship had not always been the best but they had still been friends. They'd still been allies for many years. It had been a blow to the King to think that his friend was dead. It must've been even more devastating to realize that he was now warring against the very same person. Nayni nodded her head slowly. She could feel the pressure of Coran's hand on her back.

A grim realization came to her. War declarations were not shared clandestinely with a lowly Guard Captain. Nayni had no sway over the military. She was not someone who could be consulted. Her job was the security of the Palace and the citizens of the Altean capital. Coran knew. She could see it in his face. He knew exactly why she was here. He might not have known this morning. He hadn't been carrying that weight with him while he was sipping tea in the kitchen. Whatever had transpired to lead to this moment occurred after they parted ways. This day had certainly taken a turn.

"What do you ask of me, my King?" Nayni said.

She sounded so cold but she was being torn asunder by uncertainty.

"You and Allura need to leave Altea," Alfor explained.

He folded his arms across his broad chest.

"Zarkon knows she is the most precious thing in the world to me. He'll be coming for her," Alfor said. "I need you to take her from here. You need to keep moving and you won't stop moving until Coran or I tell you to. No one must know about this."

Nayni felt lightheaded. They had to leave? They had to leave their home? She tried to keep her composure.

"I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe," Nayni said. "You know very well I would lay down my life for her."

Nayni's voice cracked as she spoke. Alfor's smile seemed to restore a bit of strength for her.

"I know you will," Alfor said. "Coran will help you make the arrangements but I'll give you a day to get your personal affairs in order."

Nayni only had one personal affair that she needed to address but there was no way that would be happening now. She'd started this day with so many plans. The day had held so much potential and now that all had to be set aside. Duty called for her as it had never done so before. She'd had the time before and she'd wasted it. There truly was no time for her personal feelings now. Allura was in real danger. They were facing a formidable enemy. A familiar one that knew every strength and weakness that the Alteans had.

Coran started to escort Nayni out of Alfor's chambers. The sensation of his hand on her back felt like someone was prodding her with a hot iron. The air between them felt as if it were on fire. She had to smother this. She had to smother these cursed feelings for the last time. She couldn't let anything interfere with her duty. It was her fault. If she hadn't stalled and been so fearful with him this wouldn't be a problem now.

She didn't even know if he actually reciprocated those feelings but she would never know now. Maybe when this war got sorted out but that could be years. Years and distance could change things quite a bit for them. They might not be able to even call each other friends after that. She could not allow herself to cry. Not in front of her Guardsmen and not in front of Coran. She couldn't let him see just how torn she was.

She'd do anything for Allura. She loved that girl fiercely but Nayni kept dwelling on the horrible truth. She'd wasted all her opportunities. Everything that had held her back before seemed so trivial now. All of her excused were so petty and naive. This was real. There was so much at stake now. If she even slipped up in the slightest, the Altean line of succession would come to an end. Everything that held their civilization together would come crumbling down.

Coran tugged Nayni around a corner. He pulled her into an alcove. A large green leafy plant helped to camouflage them. She couldn't look at him. His hands were shaking. Coran leaned in close, his eyes were so full of guilt.

"I didn't know this morning. I mean, I knew about the attacks but I never thought it would actually turn out to be Zarkon," Coran said. "After we found out, things just started moving so quickly. We just came up with this plan maybe a varga ago. I couldn't think of what else to do—I tried—I really tried—"

Nayni just held her finger up to his lips to silence him. The hallway was silent save for the soft sound of their breathing. She could feel the prickly edges of the plant leaf scratching at the back of her neck.

"When I took on this position, I knew what I was getting into," Nayni said. "I knew that my needs, my life, it all came second to hers."

It hadn't really been true until now. She knew Alfor wouldn't have condemned her if she'd shacked up with Coran. She knew all of her reasons for hesitating were just a childish fear. The excuse she'd thrown around in the past had finally come to be. And she wasn't going to run from it simply because she was in love with this man. Coran didn't seem satisfied with her response. He clung to her biceps so tightly she thought he was going to shake her.

"I should've told you what had been going on," Coran said. "You deserved to know. Maybe we could've-"

Nayni shook her head.

"You were doing your job, Mister Smythe, I don't feel slighted," Nayni assured.

Her mind was already working over everything that had to be done. She needed to decide who would take up her position. She needed to figure out where they were going to go. They needed disguises. They needed encrypted transmission channels. They needed everything. There wasn't time to worry about dinners that wouldn't be eaten anymore. Or stupid laughs that were shared on her uncomfortable couch. She truly was out of time now.

"I hope you take no offense," Nayni said. "But I'm afraid I won't have time to dine with you tonight, now."

It took all of her strength not to choke up during that last statement. Coran's hands fell away. A chill came over her after the loss of his touch. Nayni had started to feel so numb. She'd need to feel that in order to get through the rest of this day. She'd have to tell Allura that they were running away from everything that girl knew. All of her friends no longer existed as far as Nayni was concerned. They would just be two Altean rogues traversing across the universe. Coran went rigid. He seemed to be trying to slip back into those old formalities that they'd clung to for years.

"It's fine, Madame," Coran said. "Now that you'll be leaving, I'll have to learn how to take care of myself. I'll find some way to manage tonight."

She knew he could do it. Nayni knew she could take care of Allura but she did not believe in her ability to take care of herself. Not anymore.


	21. Drive You Home

The Altean freighter was cramped and filthy. It wasn't exactly the best accommodations for the Princess but Nayni had felt it was the best way to smuggle her off-world clandestinely. It had been a few weeks since Alfor had sent the two of them away. Nayni had been so focused on Allura that she'd had little time to feel much remorse or anything else for that matter. Their quarters on the freighter were barely the size of a closet. Their bunks were stacked on top of each other and Nayni found her wide frame was constantly hanging over the edge of her bunk. Life in the Palace had been rather cushy so there had been a minor adjustment to be made but she'd been prepared for it.

She'd slept in many places during her military days so she knew just how rough things could get. Allura didn't complain, at least not about their accommodations. She was quite furious with her father's decision. She felt her place was back on Altea, helping protect her people and the peace of the universe. The Princess had a hard time accepting that part of her role was to keep on surviving. She'd changed her hair to a dark, rich shade of brown. Her sparkling silver mane was a bit too much of a give away to the girl's identity. Her beauty still caught the eye of a rough and tumble freight worker. Allura had nearly snapped his arm in twain for his unwanted advances. Nayni was quite proud of her for that.

They'd help load and unload goods at the various stops that the freighter made across the star systems. At some point, Nayni wanted them to depart. She wanted to find the next ruse for them to take up. It still felt strange to be out of her uniform. It had become a part of Nayni's very anatomy after all those years. The simple grey clothes the two of them were clad in weren't exactly comfortable. They were baggy jumpsuits that every freight worked was forced to wear. The fabric was coarse and covered in grease stains.

Allura was snoozing on the top bunk. She hadn't even peeled off her sweaty jumpsuit before she collapsed on the thin, hard mattress. The girl didn't seem to mind the hard work. Neither did Nayni. It was a distraction that they both desperately needed. Every report about the war effort that came over the telefeeds just brought more bad news. As exhausted as Nayni was from the day's labors, she couldn't find the will to sleep. She'd barely been able to rest since they'd left Altea.

It wasn't the sickness she'd get from the Teludav jumps or the aches in her joints from sleeping in the tiny mattress that kept her up. She was constantly worried for Allura. The girl could take care of herself now, but Nayni loved her so fiercely she didn't care. Every single alien they encountered posed a threat. Nayni trusted no one and would continue not to. She worried about their home too. She thought of her Guardsmen, they were basically all the family she had. They were all like children to her. But it was Coran that she thought about the most.

Nayni reached under her mattress and retrieved the datapad she'd smuggled aboard the vessel. She checked it twice a day. Most of the time it was tucked into some hidden crevice of her body. Every day, during the darkest hours of the night, is usually when he'd write to her. Sometimes there would be gaps where Nayni didn't hear from him. It drove her mad with worry. These interruptions were mostly due to the encryption channels being changed or some other issue with securing their correspondence. Nayni still assumed the worst every ruggling time.

It had been a few days since she'd heard from him. She'd tried to hide her concern from Allura but she knew the Princess had picked up on it. Allura had been gentler with her. Nayni listened to the soft sound of her breathing. She took some comfort in knowing that at least her Princess was safe. Nayni powered up the datapad and dimmed the light of the display. Her heart was racing. She wanted so desperately to hear from Coran.

The nature of their correspondence had not been necessarily strictly professional. Sometimes he'd give her updates on the war or what sectors they might want to avoid. A good chunk of his messages were very personal in nature. It had been rather shocking to Nayni at first. He wrote about his fears and hopes. He expressed such deep concerns for the Princess and for Nayni. She had admittedly done the same with her responses. It was incredibly dangerous. Even though their communications were heavily encrypted and only sent through the most secret of channels, there was still always a risk. But she couldn't resist the urge to read his messages and respond to him. It was the only way she could be close to Coran anymore.

Nayni typed in the multiple different passwords. There were several layers of security that she had to bypass to even activate the datapad. It was obnoxious but necessary. If the wrong person got their hands on this, it could be a disaster. Once she unlocked the datapad, Nayni rolled on her side. She clutched the device in her hands. The soft glow of the screen illuminated the rusty wall that she was facing. Her heart sank when she saw she'd received nothing since her last check in. She just stared at the screen. She just wanted to hear from him so desperately tonight.

She curled up under the thin blanket of her bunk. Allura shifted on the bed above her and the metal supports creaked. Nayni waited for a few more dobashes before she reached for the button to power down the datapad. Just before her fingers run across the surface of the button, a message appeared. Nayni held her breath. She wanted this to be so much more than just a cold update. She wanted it to be one of his lengthy correspondences.

It filled her with elation already and she hadn't even opened it. He had sent this just now. Coran was out there, awake and safe, and in all of this chaos, he had taken the time to think of her. It filled her with such a deep sadness and longing. Nayni gingerly ran her finger over the message icon and opened Coran's letter. The rows and rows of orange text filled up the screen of her device. She tried to scoot herself closer to the wall and drew the datapad near to her face.

She ran her fingers along the smooth edges of the datapad as she read.

" _My Dearest Friend,_

 _I apologize for the delay in my response, but I assure you that Alfor and I are fine. Physically fine, at least. With every system that Zarkon takes, I lose a little bit of hope. The Lions are a formidable fighting force but the Black Lion remains without a pilot. With no Black Lion, there is no Voltron. I don't need to tell you what this could possibly mean for the universe as a whole._

 _I take such comfort knowing that you and the Princess are safe. As long as Allura and Alfor live there is still hope for the universe. As grim as things look, I believe with every fiber of my being that the King will find a way to restore peace. Then we can finally return home. I have such plans for after this horrible war. When we return home, we'll have to have a grand celebration. I know you hate such affairs but we'll have earned it._

 _The thought of seeing you in that glittering regalia again with a scowl on your face brings me a great deal of joy. I find it rather amusing how much you despised those formal gatherings and now you have found yourself missing them. I miss the normalcy of them too. But I miss the simple routine of the old days. I miss hearing you call me an idiot. I knew you never meant it. Well, I believe you may have meant it at one point but I doubt that has been the case for quite some time._

 _The last time you wrote to me you spoke about how much you missed your childhood home. I never imagined that you'd grown up on a farm surrounded by all that wildlife. I'll have to go see that when this is all over. Though, I'm not a fan of dung so I might avoid the bovidae pens. But I'd love to see where you came from._

 _The Royal Palace was all I really knew as a child. My family has served the crown for generations. I grew up surrounded by the vibrant lights of the capital and the lavish lifestyle of diplomacy. In truth, I always was drawn to engineering. I would've been perfectly content to design ships and work on them for the rest of my life. It was up to me to carry on the family legacy though. That didn't leave much time for my personal interests. I know you of all people understand that. I've found that matters of diplomacy are very similar to an engineering conundrum. You must find a solution to a problem and are always restricted by a set of unchanging rules. Instead of physics, it's cultural traditions that dictate the rules._

 _I've been thinking a great deal about the past since all of this started. It's nice to reminisce about the times when things were peaceful and normal. I appreciate them so much more now. I always valued our talks and I miss them a great deal now. You've always had a talent for keeping people grounded. I admit that writing to you helps alleviate a great deal of my troubles._

 _I'm in desperate need of some rest. I know you'd be very cross if I stayed up through the night writing to you. I hope you and Allura are comfortable and at peace tonight._

 _Your favorite foppish idiot,_

 _Coran Hieronymous Wimbleton Smythe_ "

Nayni's bottom lip trembled as she read his message over and over again. She wanted to cry so badly but she dared not wake the Princess of their nearby bunkmates. If she had the choice, Nayni would save every message he sent her. She didn't have that luxury. She'd just read them again and again and try to tuck away his words into some hidden nook of her mind.

Nayni finally closed the message screen. Her heart broke a little when she saw the correspondence automatically delete itself. She could barely concentrate as she feverishly typed up her response. She'd never really been gifted at this sort of thing. Nayni knew she was making quite a few grammatical errors but he never seemed to point them out.

Coran's words always filled her head with pretty images that would never actually come to be. She knew he'd never actually come back to the family homestead. She wouldn't be introducing him to her parents. They'd been dead for a while now. It was so lovely to dream about it though. She'd only ever met his mother, the previous Royal Advisor, in passing. It had been a tad bit of a surreal experience and terribly awkward. Coran looked just like her. Though that woman was far more stuffy and reserved than Coran was. She could easily see their genetic connection but she had no idea where Coran's flamboyant personality came from because it certainly was nothing like that woman's.

Nayni heard Allura stirring on the bunk above her again. The Princess mumbled something in her sleep. Her arm dangled over the edge of the bunk. She hastily finished up her response to Coran. It wasn't at all eloquent and it was probably the coldest and clunkiest message she'd ever put together. She felt that way about every response she sent to him though. She sent off her letter and tucked the datapad back under her mattress.

Nayni listened to the sound of Allura breathing as she slept. She curled up with that scratchy blanket and tried to feel some semblance of warmth in the cold, stale air of the freighter. She let the memories of his words slip into her mind and take her to places far away. She dreamt of their reunion. It was a completely ridiculous fantasy, it was like a scene from one of her insipid teledramas. She imagined him standing in a field of fuschia flowers on Altea and feeling the warmth of the sun on their skin. His red hair would be glowing in the light of the sun and she'd wrap her arms around him with a tearful smile. They'd walk off into the sunset, hand in hand and nothing awful would ever happen again. It was a tortuous and beautiful lie that she spun for herself.

* * *

Coran had dimmed the lights of their quarters and put on some relaxing music. Nayni appreciated his efforts to try and provide a calming environment after everything that had happened. She was sitting in their bed, wearing a spare set of his silken blue pajamas. They were far too long for her. She felt like a child in them with the long sleeves dangling inches past her fingertips. The texture of the fabric was so deliciously soft and smooth though. Somehow everything he possessed smelled heavenly too. How he'd accomplished this feat while living on a spaceship with limited supplies was a mystery to her.

Her joints ached and she was so emotionally drained from the debriefing in the lounge. Coran had been keeping up with these youngsters for quite a bit of time before she showed up. He was still spritely and full of life while she seemed to be struggling a bit. He emerged from the sanitary shower, his sopping wet red hair was clinging to his face. Even being this exhausted, she quite enjoyed the sight of watching him towel himself dry. On some level, he was quite aware of how handsome he was because he seemed to always take a great deal of joy in teasing her this way.

His playful demeanor was a nice change. Things had been so solemn and serious as of late. She knew he was taking great effort to lighten the mood for her. She loved him so desperately for that selflessness. Nayni had turned the photo of her and Tomyko face down on his shelf. She found that image to just fill her with confusion now. There was another Tomyko running around on the Castle now. She looked just like the wife that Nayni had lost all those years ago but they were not the same person in the slightest.

Coran wriggled into his skivvies. Droplets of water were still clinging to the strands of his hair. She found herself feeling rather warm. Nayni wasn't sure if that was due to the sight of his half-naked body or the temperature of their room. Coran slid into another robe. He had five different outfits for every conceivable need and occasion. In the past, he'd had more. He sat on the bed next to her. His smile still lit up her heart like a star in the night sky.

"C'mon, lay down. You need it," Coran said patting the plush white pillow on their bed.

Feeling the soft embrace of his sumptuous bed was a welcoming sensation to Nayni. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his hard warm body. She could feel the heat of his breath on her ear and the damp hairs of his mustache tickling her olive skin. He'd wrapped them up in the thick covers of his bed. She was so warm and snug that she felt as if nothing could get to them.

She still felt a bit tense but she was desperate for rest. There were a million thoughts rushing through her head and she just couldn't shake the image of Tomyko from her mind. It was still hard to swallow that any version of Coran could be as evil as the Advisor was. The man she knew, the man she loved, could never act that way. He was so dedicated to doing what was right and true. He would never cause harm on such a massive scale. He was full of so much light and The Advisor had been consumed by darkness.

Coran stroked the curve of her jaw. He must've sensed the tension from her. She melted to his touch. It still felt so electric when their flesh made contact.

"Shall I share something with you that will make you smile, my darling?" Coran cooed.

He made her smile by simply existing. Nayni just nodded and he nuzzled closer to her. She could feel his nose and chin pressed against the twisted jungle of brown hair atop her head.

"My mothers would've been very happy if I'd finally brought you home," Coran said. "You impressed Ole Mammy Smythe quite a bit during the five dobashes you spoke to her."

He was simply saying this to make her feel better. That had been quite a few years ago and an incredibly awkward conversation. Nayni highly doubted she'd impressed anyone at all. Nayni just giggled softly and shook her head.

"Would that be primarily due to the fact that you'd remained a bachelor for so long?" Nayni teased. "Or because someone was finally willing to tolerate your idiocy for more than a few tiks?"

Coran rolled onto his back and feigned a gasp as if he were deeply offended by her jest. He even draped his arm across his face like some swooning maiden.

"Madame, you've wounded me," Coran said.

Nayni seized him by the arm and pulled him back around her. She wrapped his arm around her as if he were another blanket. Coran nibbled her neck playfully as he tickled her ferociously. Nayni giggled like a child and tried to wriggle out of his grasp. She wasn't exactly putting up the best fight. She let him tug her back again and again.

"If you don't stop, I will _actually_ wound you," Nayni said.

She felt his lips brush against the skin of her neck and Nayni shuddered.

"I love when you threaten me," Coran purred. "Because I know you'd never actually hurt me."

Coran ran his hands across the curve of her tummy and between her thick thighs. Only Mister Smythe could go from talking about his family to trying to bed her. Nayni was perfectly fine with the distraction at the moment. She could barely speak when he touched her. Coran's hands had a magical quality to them that she couldn't resist. She felt his mustache scraping against her skin as he smiled devilishly.

"I also know that you'd be more than willing to torture me if I asked you nicely," Coran said.

Coran started to nibble on her earlobe but he froze. Why must he stop? Why did he always insist on inflicting this agony on her? His hand slipped out from between her thighs. He was patting her down rather unceremoniously. Nayni growled and rolled over. She was ready to scold him but she was rather surprised by what she saw. Coran held up his hand. A thick sweaty, gooey substance had coated his skin and was rolling down the curve of his wrist. Quite a bit of it had been smeared around his mouth and mustache. He smiled sheepishly.

"I thought I was talented but um-" Coran said. "I don't believe I'm _that_ talented."

Nayni threw off the covers in horror. Her robe was completely soaked and the mattress beneath her was starting to get a bit damp. Of course, this was when she had to finally get the Slipperies. She knew this day would come but why did it have to happen while they were in the middle of a quiznacking inter-dimensional war?

"Oh ruggle," Nayni cursed. "The timing for this couldn't be more atrocious."

Coran crept out of bed. She could already feel the thick globs of mucus rolling down her face. Coran tried to provide Nayni with a comforting smile but she just scowled. He tried to cup her round face in his hands but the viscous fluid just continued to roll off of her flesh and onto his skin.

"It's probably all the stress you've been through that brought this on," Coran said. "My poor dear, I hate to see you this way."

Nayni was more frustrated than embarrassed by this. The Slippery virus was just going to provide another complication to their already rather precarious situation.

"Don't you worry," Coran assured. "I've been through this so I will be an excellent caretaker for you."

He was rather cautious as he walked across the room. Nayni was already leaving quite the puddle at her feet. She stared at the growing pool spreading out on the floor. It was a tad revolting.

"Coran, I'm going to ruin the mattress if I sleep here," Nayni sighed.

Coran shook his head vigorously. He was digging out a mountain of fluffy towels and blankets from his closet. He was tossing them onto the bed and the pile was slowly growing into a mountain. Coran wasn't as careful when he made his way back to the bed. He slipped in her mucus but managed to catch himself before he fell.

"I don't care about the mattress," Coran said. "I just want you to be comfortable."

He started to wrap her up in layers and layers of towels. She felt like a child that was being bundled up before they were allowed to go out and play in the ice fields of Nothern Altea. His efforts were rather fruitless. The first layer of towels he'd wrapped around her were already growing damp. Coran slipped his oversized fluffy slippers onto her stubby feet.

"There we are," Coran said. "If you need anything, just ask. I'll do whatever I can to make it so."

He wiped a thick glob of sweat away from the tip of her button nose. This was all rather pointless. She'd be ruining his mattress, blankets, towels, and slippers now. But Coran didn't seem to care at all. The look in his eyes made her so happy she thought she might cry. His gaze was filled with such love. Nayni might be able to get away with that considering the endless stream of liquid that was coursing out of her body.

"Well, I suppose this means we're both officially old farts now," Nayni sighed.

Coran laughed and his eyes sparkled like amethysts.

"I always wanted to grow old with you. We just skipped that whole bit in the middle and went straight for the rickety joints and embarrassing personal health problems," Coran said.

The quiznack was trying to make her cry. She wanted to hug him but it was rather impossible to move bundled up like this. Coran held onto the tips of her stubby fingers that were sticking out from the layers of towels. He didn't seem to care at all about getting her revolting fluids all over him.

"It didn't turn out exactly how I envisioned but I'm quite happy with our little family," Coran said.

Nayni wriggled one of her chubby fingers and he tightened his grasp. He hopped onto the damp mattress next to her and wrapped an arm around her.

" _Family_?" Nayni asked.

They were far past the time of their lives where they could have children. Allura was the closest thing they'd ever come to that.

"Oh, you think I hadn't noticed?" Coran said.

He leaned forward and tried to imitate her signature scowl.

"Things started off as ' _Oh these quiznacking paladins'_ and turned into ' _No one messes with my paladins!_ " Coran teased.

His impression of her was spot on. Nayni wiped some of the sweat away from her face though it did little to improve her situation. She had grown rather fond of them all. She'd do anything for any of them. Even that ruggle-head Lance. Coran rubbed his hand along her back, though she could barely feel it beneath all those layers.

"The little bunghoppers," Nayni said. "They have wormed their way into my heart like a bunch of parasites."

They'd all snuck up her, just like Coran had. They'd cracked her open and she hadn't even noticed. They weren't even the same species but they still felt like they were a crucial part of her life now. Coran tilted Nayni's head so it would come to rest on his shoulder. Nayni's mother and father would've been rather pleased to know they had accumulated half a dozen grandchildren even if they had been unofficially adopted.

"I worry about them every time they go out there," Nayni confessed. "Even though I know they're capable of anything. And with all this madness going on it's so much scarier."

It had come up again. She imagined it would keep coming up until the situation had been fully dealt with.

"Me too," Coran said.

He tried to brush some of the mucus away from her forehead so he could give her a gentle kiss but was failing miserably. The more he tried to wipe it away the more of the quiznacking stuff seemed to seep out. Coran gave up and just planted a quick kiss on her cheek. Nayni wrinkled her nose as he wiped her mucus away from his lips.

"I've known for years that I'd be willing to die for you or Allura," Nayni said. "But I'd die for all of them too. Every last one of them. They can be annoying to the point of madness but they're all so strong and smart. I really do love them."

They all were so special. They were living and breathing symbols of hope. It just surprised her how quickly they'd won her over. Coran patted her gingerly on the back.

"Now there will be no more fretting about Paladins or scary alternate realities or evil alien empires or-" Coran trailed off.

Nayni sighed. Well, now that was all she was going to think about while she was stewing in her own lukewarm fluids.

"Just relax," Coran cooed.

He helped her lay back down on the bed. The mattress already felt like an over-saturated sponge that was seeping out water on a countertop. He stroked the curve of her cheek but kept having to pause to fling off the excess sweat that would cling to his fingers. It was the weirdest combination of absolute disgust and bliss. He was being so caring and kind but this was one of the grossest things that Nayni had ever had to endure.

"Just clear your mind. Think about the things that make you happy," Coran said.

He spoke with such a gentle hushed tone. It was rather intoxicating.

"Dream about bovidae running in the fields of Altea and Space Pirate Gin and the smell of the ocean breeze-" Coran began.

He leaned forward and pulled back the layers of towels that had been covering her ear.

"-dream about sitting on my face," Coran teased.

He was very very pleased with himself. She wanted to be cross with him because that imagery was not relaxing in the slightest. It had quite the opposite effect on her. She wasn't exactly in the mood for that at the moment but he was giggling like a teenage boy who'd just got a glimpse of some bare skin from an unexpected place. Coran cleared his throat and tried to play innocent.

"I mean—dream about pink fluffy clouds at sunset and mountains of sweets," Coran cooed.

He gently rubbed her shoulders and she let herself melt to the sound of his soothing voice. It wasn't just the images that he was concocting that were dancing through her head. She thought of the Paladins safe and sound. She thought of them happy without a care. It was that thought that really brought her some peace. Nayni felt herself finally starting to slip into sleep when the Castle's alarm started blaring.

Coran and Nayni sat up. Thick globs of mucus were dripping from her fingertips and soaking into her layers of towels. Nayni let out a low guttural growl.

"Of course we have to be attacked while I've got the quiznacking Slipperies," Nayni sighed.


	22. Picture

Coran had to drag Nayni to the bridge because she kept slipping on the floor. He would slip and barely maintain his footing in the trail of mucus that she left in her wake. Coran pushed Nayni through the archway to the bridge. She nearly fell on her face but managed to latch onto a railing before she smacked into the ground. The Paladins were already gathered around, fully clad in their armor. Lotor and Tomyko were staring out the massive dome looking out over the spacescape before them. A small fleet of Galra vessels were approaching from the distance. Nayni's hands were already starting to slick up again and she felt herself losing her grip on the railing.

Hunk and Pidge looked Nayni up and down. Both of them immediately grimaced in disgust.

"Aww man, not this again," Hunk groaned.

Everyone was looking at Nayni with a mixture of shock and abhorrence. Shiro just shook his head. He definitely seemed irritated by Nayni's Slipperies but there wasn't really time to discuss that now.

"Guys, we need to decide right now if we make a run for it or take 'em out," Shiro pressed.

Allura powered up the particle barrier preemptively while Nayni tried to inch her way over to her station. Tomyko was looking at Nayni with a great deal of concern but she didn't dare make a move. Lotor pushed past the Paladins and tried to get a better look at the fleet before them.

"That's more than just a scouting patrol," Lotor explained. "Father must've noticed your new friends, I'm not very surprised."

That's just what they needed, Zarkon to become involved. Coran helped Nayni get to her station. Her clothes were completely soaked through with sweaty mucus. The feeling of it running down her flesh was absolutely revolting. She could practically feel everyone staring at her. Lance kept staring at her with that stupid clueless look on his face.

"Is she gonna be okay? Or-" Lance asked.

Nayni whirled around and was about to snap at him but she slipped. Her rear end slammed into the hard floor of the bridge and she growled. Nayni let out a string of curse words under her breath as she tried to brace herself on her control panel so she could get back to her feet. Lotor just smiled to himself.

"She'll have to be, we can't let these ships go," Lotor said.

The Galra vessels already launched their fighters. Their violet laser rounds were bouncing off of the particle barrier. Coran was already manning the main control panel and furiously typing in the targeting parameters for the Castle's defenses. A large blast from one of the Galra vessels slammed into the particle barrier and the Castle jerked. Lotor clenched his teeth in frustration.

"We need to get out there," Lotor pressed. "The only way to know for sure why they're here is to take them out and retrieve whatever data we can from their systems."

Nayni tried to fire off the Castle's defensive lasers but her hands were too slippery to man the controls. Shiro slid his helmet over his head and nodded.

"He's got a point, they can't just be here by coincidence, let's get out there," Shiro said.

The Paladins made a break for the elaborate zip line system that delivered them to each of their Lions. Lotor headed towards the hangar to get to his fighter. Tomyko's red hair whipped around her as she looked frantically around the bridge. Her eyes locked on Nayni who was beating her fist against the control panel in frustration.

"What am I supposed to do?" Tomyko asked.

She didn't even look at Coran. She seemed to be doing everything in her power to avoid it. The Castle took another hit and jerked. Nayni lost her grip on the edge of her control panel and slipped again. She went careening across the floor and slammed into the main control panel. She felt a jolt of pain run through her skull as her head bounced off of the metal rim. Tomyko and Coran both ran to her. Tomyko stopped in her tracks and shot Coran a cold glare. As if this situation wasn't already obnoxious enough, she was going to have to deal with this nonsense.

Nayni grabbed Tomyko by the arm. Her forearm was so slender and delicate she could've snapped it in half.

"I can't help with the quiznacking defenses," Nayni growled. "Just do everything he says—"

Tomyko wrinkled her nose and pulled away.

"I'm not taking orders from _him_!" Tomyko seethed.

Coran was struggling to keep up with firing off the Castle's defenses. Nayni knew he'd done this on his own before but this job was much easier to handle with more people to help him.

"It doesn't matter, I can handle this myself!" Coran pressed.

Nayni thought she was going to explode. Tomyko was just standing there like a rugglehead, while her Paladins were out there risking their lives. The Lions were already soaring through the battlefield, firing off shots at the swarm of Galra fighters. Nayni watched the Blue Lion narrowly dodge a shot from one of the Galra cannons. She glared at Tomyko and her eyes narrowed with anger.

"Get over to that quiznacking control panel and help him!" Nayni snapped.

Tomyko folded her arms across her chest and pouted like a child.

"No, I'm not working with him, I don't care if he's not the real Advisor, I don't trust him," Tomyko said.

Nayni was tiks away from punching the woman in the face. Coran's hands were moving in a blur over the controls.

"It's fine, I can do this," Coran insisted.

He could but it was about the principle of the thing now. Nayni grabbed onto the edge of the main control panel and pulled herself up. Her feet slipped a little on the floor and her knees wobbled. She wiped a thick glob of mucus from her face and arms and held the dripping mass in her hand. Coran's eyes widened as he watched Nayni fling the glob at Tomyko. The undulating blob of Nayni's fluids soared through the air and smacked Tomyko square in the face.

The slender-faced Altean just stared at Nayni in shock. Her red hair was now drenched with Nayni's sweat and it was dripping off of her chin. Nayni gestured to her station which flung another wave of droplets across the floor.

"Man that quiznacking station or I swear on King Groggery's corpse that I will throw your pretty little butt out of the airlock," Nayni seethed.

Tomyko grit her teeth and stormed over to Nayni's station. Coran was biting down on his bottom lip as he struggled to hold in his laughter. Tomyko wiped away the layer of Nayni's slime that had accumulated on the control panel's surface. Her face was flushed with anger. Nayni tried to walk over to help Tomyko but she ended up just sliding off in a completely different direction.

Lotor's ship sliced through the battlefield like a sword, he left a path of smoldering destruction in his wake. The Lions hadn't even attempted to form Voltron and they were already decimating the Galra fleet. The Blue Lion swung through a cluster of fighters and froze them in place. The jagged chunks of ice spun aimlessly through the field of battle. They were working together as if in a perfectly timed dance. The Green Lion would engage it's stealth mode and then sneak up behind unsuspecting vessels and obliterate them with the help of their comrades.

Coran waved his hand in front of his control panel. His targets lit up in red. He looked up at Tomyko and hesitated before he spoke.

"Tomyko, if you could deploy the defense drones by hitting that button in the middle, it would be helpful," Coran said.

He was being so polite. Nayni wasn't willing to be as patient with her. Tomyko just threw her hands in the air and shook her head.

"There's a lot of buttons in the middle of this thing! Which one?!" Tomyko seethed.

The particle barrier took another hit and the Castle bucked. Nayni slid across the floor, she caught herself on Tomyko's control panel. Her legs flailed as she tried to pull herself up. She flung globs of her goo everywhere as she gestured to the button in the center of the panel.

"This one! This little quiznacker!" Nayni growled.

Tomyko slammed her fist on the button and managed to hit a few others in the process. The sleek, white defense drones deployed onto the field while a few secondary lasers fired off unexpectedly. Nayni slipped again but managed to maintain her grip on the control panel. She slid her hand across the panel and fired off the rest of the lasers.

Lotor and the Lions were ripping through the Galra fleet as if it were nothing. The Red and Black Lions sliced through the main ship and the massive violet vessel was engulfed in flames. The rest of the fleet immediately started to pull back. The fighters swarmed frantically trying to get back to any ship that would take them. The few remaining scouting vessels were racing for the edge of the sector so they could make a jump out. The transmission module on the bridge belted out Lotor's desperate plea.

"We can't let them get away!" Lotor pressed.

The Lions raced to keep up with the fleet. The Red and Green Lions had no issue keeping pace. They were closing in on the ships when another set of fighters exploded onto the field. The radio chatter was filled with cheers as the Blade of Marmora ships cut off the Galra fleet from the other side. The Blades had survived their encounter with the Queen and the Advisor after all.

Nayni got a bit too giddy upon their arrival and lost her grip on the control panel. She fell on her back and slid across the floor until she bumped into Hunk's battle station. She banged her head yet again and groaned. Her head throbbed with pain as she watched the Blades and the Lions take down the remaining scouts. The Galra ships split in twain and smoldered. Their violet-red lights flickered as the last signs of life dwindled from the enemy ships.

Tomyko was about to jump to Nayni's side but she hesitated. She watched Coran sprint over from the main control panel. Nayni took note of the look in Tomyko's eye as Coran helped Nayni get back to her feet. Coran held Nayni in his arms and flooded her with reassurances and inquiries about her well being. Tomyko just stood there, frozen, as she watched them. The battlefield that was visible behind her was littered with spaceship parts and the fading light of explosions.

Nayni expected her to be angry, to show some semblance of jealousy or frustration but Tomyko just looked sad. This alternate version of her dead wife looked as if a sad truth had finally come to her. Her gaze fell away from Coran and Nayni but the Guard Captain recognized that expression. She'd had that same feeling years ago when she'd looked upon her wife's ashes in that little pink urn. It was the look of acceptance. It was the realization that no force in the universe would able to undo what had come to be.

* * *

King Alfor seemed to have aged a thousand years since this war with the Galra began. He always seemed exhausted but the King never lost that burning determination that Coran respected so deeply. They'd been on the Castle for so long now that the hustle and bustle of the Royal Palace seemed like a long distant memory. The Black Lion was safely tucked in its hangar. It had been engulfed in its purple barrier since the day Zarkon had supposedly died. Many had tried to become its pilot but none had succeeded in forging a bond.

The longer that the Black Lion stayed in its state of stagnation, the more the hope for a peaceful resolution slowly faded away. Coran tried not to focus on that. He avoided the Lion's hangar at all costs. Alfor had started assigning him tasks that Coran found rather alarming though. Coran had spent many a sleepless night helping Alfor design an Ark vessel. The King insisted it was just an excessive precaution and that it was nothing for Coran to worry about but the Royal Advisor still found it a troubling project. At this very moment, Coran knew there were crews of Altean engineers and mechanics working on the massive vessel.

It was his latest task that had really shaken him. Alfor wanted him to develop a memory bank that would essentially be a digital clone of the King. Neither of them had openly spoken about why that order had been issued. Coran knew that Alfor was just preparing for a worst-case scenario. The idea of Alfor dying terrified him. Allura was a strong young woman but she would be ascending to power during the worst war that the universe had ever seen. Coran typed into the control panel before him.

His workspace on the engineering deck was dimly lit. His face was only illuminated by the blue light of the display screen. This project was proving to be most challenging. He kept adding personality traits to the artificial intelligence that weren't necessarily accurate. Coran put Alfor on a pedestal and the King had insisted that it be the most accurate representation as possible. So Coran had to set aside his immense admiration and focus solely on the man that the King really was. He kept his message inbox permanently open now. It just sat there on his second monitor. The empty display was always there taunting him.

Coran could recall every detail of the last time he saw Allura and Nayni. The Princess looked so sad and angry. The Captain of the Guard had been so stoic. Nayni had been struggling to mask the emotions within her but Coran could read her so easily. There had been a great deal of hugging but he'd expected Nayni to refuse the gesture. Instead, Nayni had wrapped her arms around him and whispered a promise in his ear that she'd do everything she could to keep the Princess safe.

Coran's violet eyes kept darting to the other monitor. Nayni and Allura were heading to Puig. He was impatiently awaiting a message to announce that they'd arrived safely. Still, there was nothing. Coran tried to put his focus back on the upload of Alfor's knowledge and personality. It was proving most difficult. The last time he'd been waiting this long, he'd accidentally upped the aggression levels on the Alfor AI and it started berating him for not sleeping enough. It reminded him so much of Nayni that he'd gone into a fit of laughter that devolved into him sniffling and wiping tears away from his eyes.

His eyes felt heavy from exhaustion. It would be best if he retired for the evening. He couldn't focus and his state of fatigue wasn't exactly helping that. Coran wanted to push himself to keep working. In times like these, there was little time for personal needs. If Nayni knew just how much he was taking on she'd be furious. Their exchange of letters had made him question the nature of their friendship. He'd _always_ questioned it though.

There were times that he was absolutely certain that she wanted him and then she'd pull away. Coran would start to believe that maybe they were just close colleagues but then she'd say something or do something that was an action only a concerned lover would take. It didn't matter what was going on with the two of them, he still ached for her desperately. These letters they had been exchanging were as vital to him as the air he breathed. He'd read her words and he could hear the sound of her voice in his head, he could almost smell her and feel her presence with him.

Coran was startled when his second monitor started to flash, the sound of a soft chime spilled forth from his speakers. He was receiving a video transmission from an unknown location. He already knew who it was. This had never happened before. He and Nayni had always strictly stuck to text. Coran scrambled to straighten himself out. He ran his fingers through his red hair and tried to smooth out the stray hairs of his mustache. He reached for a button on the control panel and the video image appeared on the display.

Static interference broke up the already pixelated visage of Nayni on the screen. She was still donning her Puig disguise. Alteans could only change their skin to one color at a time so the multicolored markings of the Puig race were impossible for them to imitate. So she'd applied some kind of prosthetic to achieve this look. Whereever she was, it was dark and it sounded like she was outside. He could hear the loud chirping of insects in the background. When Nayni smiled, he found himself actually laughing joyously.

"Since we're off that quiznacking freighter I thought I'd seize this opportunity," Nayni said. "This is a slightly more civilized method of communicating."

He both wanted and knew there was more of a reason behind the video transmission. He propped his head up with his hand on the desk. He wasn't even going to attempt to hide the jubilation he was feeling. That smile was just permanently residing on his face. Nayni quickly glanced over her shoulder and then returned her gaze to the tiny screen on her datapad.

"I'm sorry I've gotten back to you so late," Nayni said. "We've been here for several vargas now."

And she must've been waiting for the cloak of night to contact him in private. It was like something from her romantic teledramas. He doubted she'd done this consciously though. Her expression fell.

"Allura's tired of running, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

Coran nodded. This didn't surprise him.

"I know," Coran said.

There wasn't much else to be said about that. His hands were tied for now. There was no doubt about the Princess's abilities anymore but Alfor still wanted to keep her out of reach as an insurance policy. An awkward silence hung between them for a moment. It had been quite a while since they'd actually spoken to each other. It was a bittersweet moment. The only sound in the room was the soft hum of the static coming over the speakers.

"How have you been?" Coran asked.

Nayni sighed.

"I don't know half of the time," Nayni admitted. "There's never much good news anymore but it's hard to lose hope when I watch Allura punch scoundrels in the face and haggle like an expert with traders. She can do anything just like her father."

She spoke with such admiration and adoration for the Princess but there seemed to be something buried deeper within Nayni.

"I didn't expect you to still be awake," Nayni said. "You should be asleep, Mister Smythe."

He should be but Coran was even less likely to do that now that Nayni's face was right in front of him. It had been so very long since he'd seen her. He hadn't realized how deep the ache of her absence ran.

"Maybe I was and you woke me up?" Coran teased.

There was no way she was going to fall for that lie because she could probably see his workstation in the background.

"Then it would be overdue revenge for the nights that I endured your insufferable snoring," Nayni said.

She issued her retort with an icy cold expression and he found himself laughing. Nayni was hiding on an alien planet and probably hadn't slept in days but she still felt compelled to sass him. He missed the days he'd been camped out on her couch. Coran wished he'd had the courage to slip into her bed during that time.

"I could hear you through the walls, Mister Smythe, you're like a braying bovidae!" Nayni said.

Coran was laughing so hard that there were tears in his eyes. She finally let her guard down and giggled a bit too. Their laughter faded. Nayni looked off to someplace off-screen.

"I miss home so desperately," Nayni confessed.

He did too but this was the nature of war. They both had duties to attend to. They both had to shove their confusing relationship to the side. It was easier to just say it was a friendship and leave it at that. It was still such a tortuous and agonizing connection they shared.

"I miss Altea too," Coran said.

He missed her the most. He missed walking the halls of the Palace and holding Allura's chubby little hands and knowing that Nayni was watching their back. There was no going back to that though. If they were going back to anything now it would be so different. Nayni took a deep breath. She didn't seem to want the conversation to stay on this course.

Coran had already figured out that she had a much easier time expressing herself through letters than by actually talking. She would always apologize for her poor grammar or complain that she wasn't articulate but it was the opposite. She didn't bury her thoughts and feelings in flowery words. She just laid them out rather curtly and that was that.

"You look dreadful," Nayni said.

She was trying to tease him but there wasn't very much intent behind her words.

"You really need to get some rest, Mister Smythe," Nayni pressed.

She was right. As much as he wanted this video transmission to last forever he knew it couldn't. He didn't want to go crawling back to his quarters on the Castle. She'd indulged his childish needs in the past and he needed that tonight. Seeing her again, it stirred up all of his those wants that he'd been trying to smother. He hesitated to ask because she must've been exhausted too.

"Would you mind terribly if—if you stayed on the line until I fall asleep?" Coran asked.

Nayni's expression softened. She didn't even contemplate his request for a tik.

"I rather you rest your head on a pillow instead of your desk-" Nayni said. "-but I suppose I'll have to settle for this."

Coran smiled.

"I will be eternally grateful for it, Madame Nordontu," Coran said.

Her gaze seemed to be fixed away from the screen. He rested his head in his arms. The cold surface of the workstation gave him goosebumps. His violet eyes still rested on Nayni's flickering image. He toyed with the end of his mustache and pleaded with her to just talk to him. She told a story that he'd heard a thousand times. It was about how Allura had terrorized her old night guard. He laughed at all the same old jokes, though his responses slowly grew less frequent and quieter. Coran slipped out of consciousness before Nayni had even gotten past the part where the young Princess had dumped water on the guard's face to wake him up.

Coran stirred a few vargas later. He felt a sharp pain in his neck and shoulder from the awkward position he'd slept in. He moaned as he shifted in his seat. The room was silent and dark. He leaned back in his chair and wiped the drool from the edge of his mouth. Coran already felt a sinking sensation in his heart before he even looked up at the secondary monitor. The display was gone and he was met with nothing but the blank space where Nayni's image had been. She'd kept her promise but his heart still ached. He'd find a way to get back to her when all of this was over and he'd tell her in person how much she meant to him. She deserved nothing less.

* * *

Nayni had slipped and slid her way back to their quarters. Coran had been left alone on the bridge with Tomyko. The atmosphere had been just brimming with tension. Every time he'd try breaking the ice with casual conversation, Tomyko just stared at him coldly. She was very talented at glaring and folding her arms across her chest. He understood why she felt the way she did but Coran had been hoping she'd be able to move past all of that. This dire situation had thrown them all together and they would need to cooperate to get through it. The return of the rest of the Castle's crew had only made their interactions slightly more tolerable.

Kolivan and Keith's images were splayed across the main display. The Blades ships were orbiting idly around the Castle. It was good to see that they'd remained unscathed after their encounter with the Queen and the Advisor. Lotor had pulled the main data log from the cockpit of one of the Galra scouting vessels and Pidge had hooked it up to the Castle's systems. The Green Paladin's computer display was filled with a jumble of violet Galra text. It would take a few dobashes before the Castle could fully translate the logs they were pulling from the drive.

The floors of the bridge were still thoroughly coated with mucus from Nayni's Slipperies. Everyone was standing in rather awkward positions due to this. Coran hadn't had time to deploy the robotic sanitation unit before the Paladins had returned from their mission. Hunk was just standing in the corner with his nose wrinkled up. The Yellow Paladin looked as if it was taking all of his strength not to vomit.

Pidge's program finished processing the Galra data. She waved her hand over the green display and the information popped up on the main monitor. Purple text and graphs filled up the screen along with maps of the past few systems that the Paladins had visited. Pidge was about to step away from her station but she looked at the glistening streaks of goo on the floor and kept her bum firmly planted in her seat.

"From the looks of things, that scouting party wasn't actually looking for us," Pidge said.

The rest of the group gathered around the main monitor. Coran noted that Tomyko was trying to stay as far away as she could from all of them. Lotor stroked his chin as he looked over the data on the display.

Shiro's brow furrowed. He seemed rather concerned with what he was looking at.

"Zarkon's following the same quintessence readings that we were," Shiro said.

Coran leaned over the main control panel. He started sorting through the cache on his own. Every logged transmission was discussing the quintessence levels. Surprisingly, Voltron's travels were barely a footnote in the messages.

"There's nothing in here indicating that they've found the Queen's forces yet," Coran said.

Lotor smirked. There was a twinkle in his golden eyes. It looked devious. Coran found it a tad bit unsettling.

"It won't take my father very long to find them," Lotor said. "This might play to our advantage."

The Galra Prince turned to face the rest of the Paladins. Allura's eyes were narrowed and her expression was stern. Coran could tell she wasn't very receptive to whatever idea Lotor was about to propose.

"Zarkon's involvement in any situation just provides another dangerous complication," Allura said. "There's no way that could benefit us."

Lotor found her comment very amusing. He chuckled softly and shook his head.

"If we lie low long enough, father will find this Queen," Lotor explained. "Then we can let them fight each other. They might just weaken each other's forces but if we're lucky one of them will wipe out the other completely."

Tomyko gasped in disgust. She started for the Galra Prince, her face was already red with anger.

"And how many innocents will die while we wait? We can't just sit idle while the Queen slaughters millions and turns entire systems to ash," Tomyko seethed.

The rest of the Paladins seemed to be on her side. Coran could see where Lotor was coming from, but the potential casualties that plan entailed were too much of a cost. He'd watched his homeworld burn, he didn't want any other being to endure that experience. Hunk cautiously stepped over a puddle of Nayni's mucus so he could get closer to the main monitor.

"Yeah, I'm not really cool with letting two crazy alien empires run wild and cause a bloodbath," Hunk said.

Lotor seemed rather frustrated with their hesitation.

"If you intend to take on the full force of the Queen's fleet _and_ my father's then you are all much more idiotic than I previously thought," Lotor said. "Sacrificing a few systems is a small cost to protect the universe as a whole."

Tomyko took a step back. She seemed completely shocked and horrified by the words spilling forth from the Galra Prince's mouth.

"You—You're a monster," Tomyko stammered. "Lotor—he would never suggest something so awful."

Coran knew that Tomyko was referring to the Lotor from _her_ reality. She staggered backward. Her feet slipped a bit. Her eyes were wide and she just kept shaking her head. Lotor sighed with aggravation.

"Perhaps that's why he's dead," Lotor said coldly.

Tomyko looked like she was about to leap at him. Coran seized her and tried to pull her away.

"It's all right. Just be calm," Coran pressed.

Tomyko yanked her arm out of his grasp and spat at his feet.

"If you ever lay a hand on me again, I will not hesitate to kill you," Tomyko said.

Shiro stepped between the three of them. He held out his arms and his gaze darted between them.

"Lets all just take a deep breath and relax," Shiro said. "We're all in this together, we can't be fighting amongst ourselves."

Tomyko kept her violet eyes locked on Coran. She slowly slinked back. Coran had no idea what to do about her. He'd tried to be kind. He'd tried to do his best to give her space and a reason to trust him. It just seemed no matter what he tried, Tomyko could not shake this hatred she harbored for him. He wasn't the Advisor but Tomyko didn't seem to care. Lance was keeping an eye on Tomyko. The Blue Paladin was a bit protective of Coran. His relaxed posture shifted and he looked like he was ready to jump on Tomyko at any moment.

"It looks like no one is really a fan of your plan, Lotor," Lance said.

Kolivan cleared his throat over the video feed. The Galra's grim expression only made him look that much more intimidating.

"It's not entirely a bad plan," Kolivan said. "If we find a way to lure them to each other, we could minimize the casualties and strike a blow to both of their fighting forces."

This sounded incredibly risky. Coran wasn't even sure how that could be pulled off. Keith was nodding in agreement but the others still seemed rather hesitant. Only Lotor seemed pleased with the addition to his schemes.

"Well, we did lure the Queen once before," Lotor said.

His gaze flickered over to Coran. The Castle Helmsman didn't like the look in the Prince's eye. Allura stepped forward. Her brown face was gnarled with revulsion.

"Do you honestly expect them to fall for the same trick twice?" Allura pressed. "And are we just supposed to sit there completely exposed to Zarkon's forces while we wait for them to show up?"

The Paladins started to argue over the faults of the plan. Kolivan and Keith tried to prove how it would work. Lotor remained silent. His gaze was fixed on Coran and there was the tiniest smirk on his face. Coran knew why. He could feel it in his core. He remembered the way the Advisor tried to toy with Nayni. His fixation with her ran deep. The Queen had seemed to find it annoying. Annoying enough that she was tired of his antics. This was a sign that he'd had this obsession for quite a long time. But if their relationship was anything similar to the one that Coran shared with Allura, she might be willing to try again. But Coran didn't know if he was willing to take that risk a second time.

The bickering continued until Allura couldn't stand it any longer. She stomped her foot in quite a huff.

"We're done discussing this," Allura snapped. "We'll just find another option."

They'd be tracking too massive fleets now. They'd be dodging two enemies and fighting this war on two fronts. It would take the entire Coalition to maintain the freedom of the systems that they'd liberated. They wouldn't be able to sustain that for long. Lotor wasn't pleased with Allura's comment. His level of frustration was through the roof now.

"Well when whatever plan you concoct fails, then don't come whimpering to me like a child," Lotor hissed.

He pushed his way past Shiro. The Galra Prince looked to Tomyko. He seemed to be expecting her to follow him but she stood rigid as a stone. The trust they'd shared seemed to have evaporated after this conversation. Kolivan's voice crackled over the video feed.

"We'll try to keep an eye on the Queen's fleet," Kolivan said. "In the meantime, I suggest you reach out to our allies in the Coalition."

This was possibly the most unproductive debriefing that had ever occurred on the Castle. It had left Coran with more concerns than reassurances. He felt rather conflicted too. He didn't like the idea of using anyone as bait, especially Nayni or Allura. Right now he needed to tend to her. He'd dealt with the Slipperies on his own for the most part. Pidge had been there for him during the heat of battle but he hadn't had anyone there to keep him company while he was laying in his own fluids for a few days.

In the past, he'd imagined Nayni and himself growing old together on Altea but the reality now was it would probably be happening on the Castle. They had more years behind them than they had ahead of them. It didn't trouble him as much as it used to. Dwelling on the time wasted was pointless now. He knew that guilt was still weighing Nayni down though. For now, he'd bring her a hot cup of tea and hold her hand while she wallowed in puddles of her sweat and mucus. He'd be there for her as she had been there for him so many times before.


	23. Oops Oh My

" _My Dearest Friend,_

 _Fret not about our fiery Princess. I know it's hard to let such things go but worrying about something we can do little to change will only be more stress than you need right now. No one really knows how to feel about all of this, Allura's not actually upset with you. She's just upset with the situation you're both stuck in. You're both frustrated. It's totally understandable. I know you'll be there for each other no matter what. It's okay to lean on me and her. She's becoming a wise young woman now so don't be afraid to turn to her._

 _I'm surprised you'd never clocked me for a military man. The Space Squad was quite different from the Royal Army as you know. I didn't invest nearly as much time in the service as you have. It's been a Smythe family tradition for generations to serve in the Squad for a time. I learned quite a bit from those days. I was quite a wild young man. I needed that structure and discipline to straighten me out. I've got quite a few tales that I believe will bring a smile to your face, Madame._

 _I started off thinking the Squad would be some stupid chore that my mother had sent me on. I wasn't exactly receptive to any of it. They were so controlling over everything; the way I marched, the way I stood, the way I even looked at people. They were even harder on me because of my family name. Apparently, I carried myself with a bit too much swagger. I imagine you would probably still agree with them, Madame. I thought I knew how to do everything but I was so very wrong._

 _I'd fired a gun before. I wasn't a terrible shot but it wasn't exactly my gift. I also wasn't terribly athletic. I remember the other Space Squad recruits were quite a bit more built than me. I was practically skin and bones back then. It was rather difficult to keep up with them at first and they weren't particularly forgiving. It took a great deal of hard work and sweat, and a bit of mud was also involved but, I did get into shape._

 _I was very cocky. As much as you fantasize about beating me now, I would've definitely gotten you to punch me back then. After boot camp, I was pretty trigger happy and still rather full of myself. That changed quite a bit after my first time trying to harvest scaltrite from a weblum! It's why I ended up volunteering for that instructional video towards the end of my Space Squad career. I thought I had the perfect plan. I wasn't afraid of a stupid worm. Well, like an idiot I flew in front of its face and nearly got our ship sliced in half. Because of my genius maneuvering, I was forced to volunteer for the more messy part of that mission. I have seen quite a bit in my lifetime but that is still quite possibly the most revolting experience I have ever had. I was covered with stomach acid, some sticky goo of a mysterious origin, and possibly some feces. I can still smell that awful stench if I think about it too much. It made me a bit more humble though._

 _I'm not nearly as vain now. I also don't possess those chiseled abs anymore. It was a short career but it instilled lessons in me that I still use today. It is quite funny to think that we were both in the service at the same time. The Space Squad did cross paths with the Army on occasion but I definitely would've remembered if I'd run into you. There probably would've been a great deal of vexation on your part, I imagine._

 _It's nice to reminisce about the old days like this. It helps keep me focused on our goal. We will have that again one day. There will be peace. It's going to be a long road but I know we'll get there. I hope it won't be too late by then to have little Smythe children of my own to send off to the Space Squad. But it's still something to look forward to._

 _I look forward to hearing from you soon, too._

 _Royal Advisor, Castle Helmsman, and Exceptionally Talented Weblum Wrangler,_

 _Coran Hieronymous Wimbleton Smythe."_

Coran read over his message briefly to check for any errors. He wanted to say so much more at the end. He always did. Sometimes he'd type up a heartfelt confession to Nayni but he inevitably would delete it. When he was satisfied with the final draft he sent off the encrypted message. They seemed to be exchanging more and more messages that were not related to the war effort in the slightest. He needed it though.

He slid the datapad back on the bare shelf of his quarters. He lay back in his bed and stared up at the metal ceiling. Nayni's query about his days in the Space Squad had really stirred up some strange thoughts for him. They were haunting him in the darkness of his room. The Castle was silent during such a late hour. It was that silence that was most troubling when he was alone like this. He'd try to force himself to sleep but he'd either start obsessing over whatever task he was working on at the moment or he'd become overwhelmed with worry.

Tonight he was fixated on something so trivial and unexpected. When Nayni was first considered for the Guard Captain position, Coran had to do extensive research on her background. He'd done so for every candidate. He remembered seeing all those images of her over the course of her Army and Guardsman career. He'd been provided with pictures of her various travels and minor victories. His mind kept revolving around the picture of her fresh out of boot camp. She'd still been a tad round but she was so— _fit._

She'd had this glint in her eye and the tiniest of smiles on her face. Her grey and blue uniform clung to every curve of her muscles and her rather ample bosom. Coran felt his ears getting a little warm and tingly. If they had met back then, he probably would've pursued her relentlessly. He hadn't had much trouble with wooing back then. He'd been a handsome, well-formed, young Altean man. She probably would've been just as stubborn with him as she was now and nothing would've come of it but, _quiznack_ , she would've been quite the sight.

Coran rubbed his eyes and ran his hands over his face. He wasn't the least bit tired. He tried to roll on his side to shake the images from his mind but it wasn't particularly helpful. Coran wondered if she ever thought of him this way. He doubted it. Nayni and Coran were close but their relationship was so confusing that he'd never be certain what was going on in her head. His thoughts still kept drifting back in that rather questionable direction.

He kept picturing himself, leaning against some obscure wall in an unknown location. He'd just be a pillar of pure muscle, flashing that short woman a wink. He'd flex his muscles and run his fingers through his spiky red hair. Those were the simple classic moves that had always gotten him exactly what he'd wanted. Maybe Nayni would've rolled her eyes or maybe he'd bring a flush to that olive skin of hers. They would've been two young, spritely Alteans that were a bit more flexible than they were now. There wouldn't have been a war to fight then either, they would've had a lot of time on their hands.

Coran thought about her hands on him and felt his heart racing a bit. It seemed a bit disrespectful to think about her this way but the thoughts just kept popping up. He kept thinking about that young, hard-bodied woman pushing him up against that wall with that gleam in her eye. She'd have that same tiny grin. She'd grab him by the hips and her hands would travel down the solid muscle of his thighs.

Coran was definitely flushed now. He was staring wide-eyed at the wall. He wasn't exactly ashamed for thinking about indulging himself. He'd had to resort to such measures over the years he'd spent as a single man. He'd just been so stressed from the war with the Galra that the thought hadn't crossed his mind in quite some time. But, he was feeling a bit frustrated. He was tired, he was stressed and now he was rather flustered. Coran knew the release would put him to sleep immediately.

Coran was taking care of himself. Nayni had constantly nagged him to take better care of himself in her letters. Coran knew that it probably wasn't exactly what Nayni would've expected of him but at least he was finally fulfilling her wishes.

* * *

It had only taken three days but Nayni had finally shaken off her case of the Slipperies. The janitorial drones were currently reclaiming their quarters from the flood of Nayni's mucus. She'd gotten in a shower and was savoring the feeling of her skin and hair being neat and dry. Nayni had finally started to gain a sense of the Castle's full layout. There were only bits and pieces that she'd been familiar with back before the war. Now she could almost see a map of it in her mind. She was heading for the Teludav chamber.

Coran was in there calibrating the systems and ensuring that the Castle was in tiptop shape. She'd been feeling a bit uneasy. The past few days had been rather tense. Pidge was trying to refine her program to track the Queen's militia while the rest of them were trying to settle on the best plan of action to take next. Nayni was half expecting Lotor to take off since no one was on board with his plan but the Galra Prince had stuck around. Tomyko had just stayed cooped up in the quarters they'd provided for her.

Nayni was just relieved that she finally wasn't sick anymore. He boots clacked as she walked down the narrow hallway to the Teludav chamber. Her intentions for this visit were less than innocent. Coran had been a very attentive caretaker while she was ill and she wanted to repay him. Nayni typed into the control panel and watched the doors to the chamber slide open. She actually found herself smirking rather deviously. The years that she'd spent pining for him had left Nayni with a rather insatiable appetite for his touch.

Coran was standing rigidly behind a control panel. Multiple aquamarine screens were splayed out before him. She could see the Teludav at his back. The rows and rows of scaltrite lenses lined the cylindrical enclosure. They seemed to be glistening in the artificial light of the chamber. Nayni stepped into the control room and tried to casually lock the door behind her. Coran smiled at her brightly. For once he was the clueless one.

"How are you feeling, my dear?" Coran asked.

His sweetness was only making her more hungry for him.

"Much better now, thanks to you," Nayni said.

Nayni tried to lean against the wall and look rather seductive but she wasn't particularly talented at that. Coran was able to look so sexy without any effort whatsoever. She felt like she looked rather stupid so she just got back into her formal, rigid position. He smirked and Nayni knew the jig was up. He raised a brow and she found herself rather flustered now. Coran sauntered over to her. He'd turned the tables on her rather quickly.

"Whats the matter, Madame?" Coran cooed. "Is there a problem?"

Nayni had come in here thinking she was going to put the moves on him but here he was stripping her of all sanity again. After all these years he still was so gifted at getting her flustered. Nayni was trying to hide her furious blushing in an attempt to regain some control over herself.

"Oh I'm just-ya know-coming here to learn about calibrating and such," Nayni stammered.

She was losing this duel. But she wasn't terribly upset about it. Coran towered over her but she loved it. He reached down and caressed her jaw with his fingers. The fabric of his glove felt tantalizing on her flesh.

"Would you like me to show you a few things?" Coran asked.

Nayni couldn't help but smile.

"Please," Nayni said.

At some point, she would hope that he wouldn't turn her into jelly so easily but she doubted that would ever come to be. He gingerly wrapped his arm around Nayni's waist and pulled her closer to him. She could feel his hot breath on her ear as he pointed out the various controls to her. He adjusted one of the dials with his long fingers.

"This rotates the lenses," Coran said.

He somehow managed to inject quite a bit of sexual energy into that rather innocent comment. Nayni watched the blue disks rotate around and tilt before they finally readjusted back into their previous position. He pulled her a little bit closer and ran his hand up the curve of her waist. Nayni tried to hold in a gasp. Coran briefly typed into the console.

"And this is how you adjust the lasers," Coran whispered.

The mechanisms at the end of the chamber whirred and clicked as they extended and retracted. Coran playfully toyed with the buttons of her shirt. He pushed some of the levers on the control panel. Numbers and graphs appeared on the blue display but none of them really made any sense to Nayni. She was also having a rather difficult time concentrating now. Coran ran his teeth along the edge of her earlobe and Nayni gasped.

"Those are the levels of the cooling system, it's very important that they're perfectly balanced," Coran whispered. "Or the Teludav will overheat."

Nayni had just given up on resisting it now. Her legs were already shaking. Coran kissed the curve of her neck. That tortuous sensation of his mustache against her skin made Nayni shudder. Coran flicked his hand across the control panel and the lights in the room dimmed. The silhouette of his body was illuminated by the aquamarine glow from the Teludav lenses.

"Are you overheating, my dear?" Coran teased.

Nayni bit down on her bottom lip. Her gaze flickered up to meet his. He looked so devious. His eyes were twinkling with sheer delight and his mustache looked a tad crooked from the grin on his face. Nayni reached up and undid the buttons of his collar. She had come here with one intention. That drive was giving her the strength to push past his tortuous advances.

She gingerly pried open his shirt. She ran her stubby hand along that thin patch of red hair on his chest.

"I'm fine, Coran," Nayni murmured.

She smiled wickedly and he seemed rather surprised. She ran her fingers through his fiery hair and pressed her lips to his. His kiss tasted so delectable and she could feel that his mustache was already damp with sweat. She felt along the lean muscles of his shoulders as they kissed. She slid her hand down along his firm stomach and his kisses grew more desperate and hungry. Nayni pulled away from him and her gaze flickered to the ground.

"I believe you'll be the one doing the overheating," Nayni teased.

Nayni had believed him to be a patient man. He had always taken great lengths to draw things out and build up that tortuous pressure until everything came to a breaking point. He didn't seem to be very interested in that at the moment. She'd never seen him this way. She'd never seen him so desperate and out of control. It seemed that she'd finally been able to win at this little game they always played. Coran's hand roved over the back of her head. He cursed and tried to pull her away.

She was worried that something was wrong but was pleasantly surprised when he fell to his knees and scrambled to tear off her clothes. They were writhing around on the floor like clumsy teenagers. Nayni had always been a tad awkward but he'd never been this way. Coran had never been so impatient that he'd fumble with buttons and flail as he tried to kick off his boots. He always took the lead. It was a rush she'd never experienced before.

They tussled around on the floor, tangling themselves in their own clothes. Coran was so relentlessly wild that it didn't take her long to succumb. She found his desperation so deeply satisfying that Nayni couldn't help but laugh. Coran collapsed on top of her and she wrapped her arms around him. He started chuckling as he struggled to catch his breath. The shower she'd taken earlier seemed rather irrelevant now. She could feel his hot, damp breath on the flesh of her neck.

"You drove me mad, woman," Coran stammered.

He rolled over onto his back, his legs were still tangled up in his half removed pants. She quite enjoyed seeing Coran like this, all drenched in sweat, red-faced and flustered. It made Nayni feel like a fired up young cadet again. Coran grabbed her and pulled her against his body. He was so hot, he was radiating like a furnace.

"How have you managed to surprise me again after all of these years?" Coran teased.

This left her feeling rather smug. Nayni gave him a reassuring pat on his bare chest.

"It was just a bit of payback for enduring all those years of torture from you, Coran," Nayni said.

This seemed to fill him with quite a bit of pride. She noticed that he took great delight in being reminded that he'd had that effect on her for years. Nayni didn't have too many tricks up her sleeve but she had a few. If she was perfectly honest with herself, she'd gotten quite rusty and not just with men. She'd spent a good chunk of her life as a single woman and she hadn't exactly been confident that her old ways would still be able to seduce anyone.

"I must admit," Nayni began. "Dreaming about moments like these kept me company on many a lonely night."

He seemed even more delighted by this confession. At the time, it had made things quite awkward whenever she'd run into Coran at the Palace. She didn't feel awkward around him anymore. Coran kicked his legs and tugged on his pants until he'd fully freed himself. The cold floor of the Teludav's control room wasn't exactly comfortable but it was far more tolerable with his company. He wore that devilish grin again and there was a glint in his eye.

"That's a rather scandalous statement, Nayni," Coran teased.

Yet, Coran seemed to find it to be a rather delicious idea. She could tell by the way he was biting down on his bottom lip and toying with the end of his mustache. That little gesture had developed quite a bit of sensual context to it since she'd been bedding him. It used to be such a benign trait of his. Nayni would've been horrified to discuss this topic years ago but there wasn't any reason to hide things from anyone now.

"Well, I was single for quite a while, Coran," Nayni said. "And everyone has needs."

Coran chuckled and his eyes flickered over her. It still gave her a thrill to see him look at her in that way. She wondered if that would ever go away.

"I confess that I may have resorted to the same survival tactics whilst thinking of you," Coran said.

Now, he was the one that was still full of surprises. She found herself blushing again. They'd both established that they'd been pining for each other for years but the idea of Coran getting off by thinking of her was making her feel rather hot and bothered.

"Oh my," Nayni stammered.

She couldn't resist fanning herself and he chuckled. How many nights had slipped by over the years where they'd been thinking of each other? It seemed so obvious now but she had never really thought about it at all in the past. Coran brushed some of her thick, brown hair away from her neck. It didn't matter how many times he'd kissed her now, she still swooned every time. As she felt his soft lips planting warm kisses along her neck, her heart fluttered.

Every time they held each other like this after an intimate encounter, she just wanted to be in his arms forever. They didn't exactly have that luxury on a ship full of adolescents. She gave Coran one last kiss before she sat up. They'd torn each other's clothes off so quickly and so many times now that they were able to put themselves back together with great ease. The two of them had it down to an art now. Nayni helped him button up his collar. Coran combed through her hair with his slender fingers and pulled the brown, tangled mass back into her signature bun. Nayni ran her fingers along his mustache and straightened out the orange hairs that had sprung out of place.

She was rather satisfied with the results of things but they both had a bit of an odor. They at least could maintain the visual illusion that nothing had happened in the Teludav control room. She felt so at ease in that moment it didn't really matter to her. Coran's touch had turned out to be the greatest stress reliever of her entire life. She could've utilized that much earlier in her life but it was a blessing to have it now anyway. Coran was leaned over the control panel. She watched his hands flicker over the keys as he finished up his work.

Nayni's heart skipped a beat when the doors to the chamber opened. She and Coran stared at the Green Paladin standing in the doorway wide-eyed in shock. Nayni had managed to learn the layout of the Castle but apparently, she had still failed to understand how to properly lock a door. If they'd ended their little tryst a dobash later, they would've been walked in on by this innocent child. Pidge's eyes darted between the two of them and she furrowed her brow.

"Uh—is there a problem?" Pidge said.

Coran forced an awkward smile. He rested a hand on Nayni's shoulder. She felt like dying.

"Nothing's the matter, Number Five," Coran said. "What is it that you need?"

He could mask his embarrassment so easily. Nayni was just frozen in terror. The idea of what could've possibly happened wouldn't loosen its grip on her. They'd dodged a most awkward situation but it was based purely on luck. It was her fault too. Though Coran was managing to put on a somewhat believable performance, Nayni's stiff posture and grimace gave away her anxiety.

Pidge looked them over. She adjusted her glasses.

"I think I've got my tracking program finished," Pidge said. "I just need to import it into the Castle's main system."

Coran nodded with approval. The smile on his face and that look of pride in his eye weren't forced.

"Fantastic!" Coran said. "Let's get to the bridge then, shall we?"

Pidge still seemed to find the whole affair to be awkward. Her eyes were narrowed and one of her brows was raised rather skeptically.

"Right-cool," Pidge said.

Her tone was rather flat. Whatever enthusiasm she'd felt before she'd entered this room was now replaced with suspicion and possibly some mild revulsion if she'd pieced together what had just happened. The Green Paladin made a hasty exit regardless of how she actually felt. Nayni watched until the girl was out of sight before she tugged Coran by the arm and pulled him back.

Nayni was so mortified that she was trembling.

"I swear I locked the door," Nayni whispered.

Coran flashed her a smile and rested his hands on her broad shoulders.

"Well, clearly you didn't, my dear," Coran said through gritted teeth.

They both looked at the door nervously then back to each other. Coran let out a sigh and shook his head.

"In the future, we'll double check," Coran said.

Nayni just nodded and took a deep breath. Maybe in the future, they'd keep things just within the confines of their quarters. She wasn't really keen on these spontaneous encounters anymore, let alone the planned outings. She could feel Coran's hand in the small of her back as they followed Pidge down the hall.

It was both lovely and awful to be surrounded by such an abundance of youth. Coran and Nayni were far too old to have children of their own now but it felt like the Paladins were family. He seemed to beam when he talked about them and their individual quirks. He'd spoken of them in the same way she'd boasted about Allura back in the day. She'd started to feel that way about them too. Nayni was rather partial to Pidge.

The Green Paladin reminded her quite a bit of how Nayni had been at the age, well, the _Altean_ equivalent of that age. Nayni hadn't been as technologically inclined but she'd had that same fire in her. She recognized that determination. Though, Nayni had no issue admitting that Pidge was infinitely more intelligent than she was.

As awkward as the march to the bridge was, Nayni still found herself rather relaxed by the time they'd reached it. Pidge seemed to have gone into autopilot as soon as they stepped through the archway onto the bridge. The lights came on as Coran followed Pidge to the main control panel. Nayni looked out of the massive canopy at the twinkling stars and the green nebula spread out around the Castle. She'd always wanted solid ground beneath her feet and now she was fairly certain she'd be traversing the universe for the rest of her life.

Watching Coran and Pidge work at the console brought a smile to Nayni's face. The main display illuminated their excited faces in blue light. Small green windows opened up across the screen and Pidge was pointing out parts of her code to Coran. He couldn't hide the enthusiasm he had for her brilliance. Pidge was very proud of herself and rightly so. He typed into the control panel as Pidge explained the intricacies of her program's abilities and the manner in which it operated. Most of it sounded like gibberish to Nayni.

The look Coran had in his eye, the way he responded to everything Pidge said, the way he carried himself around her; it all stirred such strange feelings within Nayni. She mourned the lost opportunity she'd had with him but there was such a genuine happiness she felt in this moment. Nayni could sit there and dwell on what type of parent he would've been but she had this example right in front of her. He cared for all of them as if they had always been a part of his family. He was so loving and selfless and he expressed those feelings without an ounce of fear.

Nayni crept up to the main display. She looked at the green maps spread out across the blue holographic screen. Pidge zoomed in on a portion of the star map that had a cluster of red blips on it.

"That should be the Queen's militia," Pidge explained. "I can't be certain but I'm pretty sure I was able to triangulate their position based on all of the quintessence readings we've been picking up."

Nayni was having a hard time focusing on the Green Paladin's explanation but Coran didn't seem to have too much of an issue keeping up. A soft repetitive beep emitted from the main panel and Nayni cocked her brow. Pidge scuttled over to the left side of the display and started typing into the control panel. The green star map scrolled across the screen as Pidge zeroed in on another system. A large cluster of violet blips were moving towards a planet. Pidge took a step back. She seemed a tad bit alarmed.

"That's a Galra fleet," Pidge said.

Coran waved his hand over the display and it zoomed in on a very familiar image. Nayni recognized the orange and pink atmosphere of that planet. Her gaze flickered over to Coran to confirm what she thought she was seeing. His eyes had narrowed and his expression was grim.

"They're headed for Terrapin," Coran said. "I think the Galra are going to try and take it back."


	24. It's Gonna Be Me

Everyone had gathered on the Castle's bridge yet again. It was standard protocol but Nayni still wasn't used to being so involved with planning like this. She needed to carve out that self-doubt like a tumor. This was what life was like now and she couldn't let anything hold her back or hinder Team Voltron. Everyone was present, except for Tomyko. That didn't exactly sit right with Nayni. She knew things must be overwhelming for the Altean woman but at some point, she was going to have to come out of her room and face this new reality. The Paladins were gathered around the main display, staring at Pidge's tracking program splayed out before them. Lotor was standing boldly in the front, stroking his chin as he looked over the violet blips swarming around Terrapin.

Pidge hovered over the main control panel and brought up another green section on the screen. On one side of the display was a cluster of red blips of the Queen's militia and the other was populated with the movement of the Galra fleet. The worst-case scenario was playing out just as they had predicted it to. They were now dealing with a war on two fronts. From what Coran had explained, Nayni knew the Voltron Coalition was a substantial fighting force. It didn't matter how big of an army they had at their disposal though, if they stretched themselves too thin they'd be overcome quickly.

Coran seemed to be greatly concerned. His brow was furrowed and his ears had drooped slightly. Nayni didn't need to ask him why. Nothing about this was going to be easy to deal with. She couldn't see how to approach the situation at all. Coran let out a sigh and shook his head.

"The Queen's heading for another of our allied systems," Coran said. "And the Galra fleet heading for Terrapin isn't some trivial scouting party."

They needed to protect both systems, even Nayni could acknowledge that. But they couldn't be in two places at once. Lotor seemed to find their predicament amusing. The way the Galra Prince operated was still a bit of a mystery to Nayni. He was very talented at masking his emotions.

"I still think we should draw them together," Lotor said. "It would make our task significantly easier."

Allura wrinkled up her nose in disgust. She narrowed those sparkling indigo eyes. They all were still struggling with Lotor's involvement but Allura seemed to be having the most difficulty with it.

"I won't allow two enemy fleets to attack a single planet at the same time," Allura said. "That puts an entire civilization at risk. The potential death and destruction that could occur is unacceptable."

Lotor didn't seem to be moved at all by the passion with which she spoke.

"You're missing out on an opportunity," Lotor pressed.

Shiro stepped in before things escalated anymore. He was rather gifted at shutting down a situation before it even started. He seemed rather tired of this argument too. They all were. It just would end up going in circles.

"Let's just take a step back and look at what our resources are before we commit to anything," Shiro said.

Coran typed into the control panel and more windows popped up on the main display. The massive screen was so cluttered with maps and charts that it was hard to take it all in. Pidge brushed her mess of brown hair away from her face.

"Well, Matt and some of the rebels are already in route to Terrapin," Pidge said.

Coran folded his arms behind his back. He wouldn't take his violet eyes off of the main display. Nothing could steal his focus when he'd slipped into this analytical train of thought.

"The Blade of Marmora are tailing the Queen's militia," Coran said. "But they won't be able to handle that fight on their own."

Nayni didn't think either of their allies could hold up against those armies. Hunk seemed to find this particular dilemma to be rather troubling.

"We can't just leave them hanging," Hunk pressed. "I mean these are literally our friends and family we're talking about here."

The Yellow Paladin's loyalty ran so deep. It's what Nayni respected the most about the boy. Lance seemed just as stuck as Hunk was. His eyes kept darting over the faces of his companions. Pidge's brother was up against an entire Galra fleet and their old comrade Keith was going to face off with the Queen. Lance shifted on his feet. He seemed rather uncomfortable with all of it.

"I mean, we've all seen what that spooky Castle can do," Lance said. "They're gonna need everything we've got to survive that battle. I don't like it but, maybe that's where Voltron needs to be."

It wasn't a surprise when Pidge went off on the Blue Paladin. It was obvious that Lance didn't like his proposition in the slightest. He'd been struggling with that idea and it was the only one he could come up with. Shiro was trying to gain control of the dispute. Lance kept shaking his head as he tried to explain his intentions to Pidge but she remained furious. Her hands were trembling and her face was starting to redden from the anger.

Tomyko slipped onto the bridge amidst the chaos. Nayni watched her creep across the polished floors like a ghost. Her blurred reflection on the floor followed the slender Altean as she slinked across the room. Her red hair looked dull and limp. It looked as if the woman hadn't slept since she'd gotten here. Lance pushed by Shiro and grabbed Pidge by the shoulders. He crouched down so he could look the girl in the eye.

"Pidge, listen, I don't want to leave anyone behind, trust me," Lance explained. "But what else are we going to do? The Queen is the bigger threat here."

Pidge bit down on her bottom lip and her gaze fell to the floor. The Green Paladin took a deep breath to calm herself.

"There has to be another way," Pidge said.

Coran flicked his hand across the display screen and blew up the scans of Terrapin and the Galra fleet. He twirled the end of his orange mustache between his long fingers.

"Zarkon's flagship isn't with the Galra fleet," Coran said. "They've got quite a few dreadnaughts though."

Pidge toyed with the hem of her green shirt. Her brown eyes seemed to glint when an idea cropped up in her head.

"Maybe I can stay behind with the Green Lion," Pidge said. "The rest of you can go hold off the Queen while I stay behind to help Matt."

It was definitely a possible solution. She seemed completely sold on it but the other Paladins were quite hesitant. Tomyko didn't move from her spot in the back of the room. Nayni watched her face gnarl up in frustration.

"N-no," Tomyko stammered.

They all turned to stare at her. Tomyko went rigid and held her head high.

"You're going to need that Vol-tron warrior if you face the Queen," Tomyko said.

She still seemed to have a difficult time understanding the concept of Voltron. Such a thing didn't exist in her reality, thankfully. Pidge didn't like this fact but even she seemed to grasp the truth of it.

"You will not survive that battle if you enter the fray without it," Tomyko pressed. "No matter what you choose to do, Voltron must be there when you face the Queen."

Coran rested a hand on Pidge's shoulder. She looked upon him as if she was looking to a parent to fend off imaginary monsters hiding in the darkness. Nayni hadn't expected Tomyko to speak up like this. She'd been so isolated and dejected. She'd been so adamantly against cooperating. Maybe she'd finally come to her senses. Allura clenched her fists and sighed. She looked upon the tiny Green Paladin with a great deal of empathy.

"We'll need the Castle with us too," Allura said. "If things go badly we might have to evacuate that system."

Shiro nodded and brushed his white tuft of hair away from his face.

"I know none of us really feel great about it but I agree," Shiro said. "Maybe we can send the Blades back to Terrapin to help-"

They'd seen the army that the Terrapin had amassed. They'd sent some of their ships to aid other planets in the Coalition but they still possessed a substantial amount of ships, fighters, and tanks at their disposal. Nayni didn't feel comfortable with making the call. She had no idea how that could work out strategically. If the Galra made landfall and she had to face their soldiers in close quarters she'd feel more comfortable. She glanced at Lotor. Even in the artificial light of the ship his silver hair seemed to gleam like starlight.

"The Terrapin respect Lotor," Nayni said. "And his ship is very powerful if I recall."

They'd had meetings like this several times now but it still made her a tad uncomfortable when all eyes fell on her.

"And Lotor knows more about the Galra than any of us," Nayni said.

She didn't trust leaving him behind. He'd been helpful up to this point but she knew he was still clinging to that violent plan of his. It was entirely possible he'd bring this Galra fleet into their encounter with the Queen. Lotor grinned. The look in his eye made Nayni's stomach churn.

"The Terrapin are quite used to taking orders from me as well," Lotor said. "I suppose I could direct your rebel forces too, if they're even willing to listen to me."

Tomyko's eyes widened. Nayni could practically see the woman working out a plan in her head. She stepped forward, her cascading red hair fell about her slender body as she moved.

"You have that modified shuttle too," Tomyko said. "I'm an excellent pilot, I could do a lot of damage with that thing."

Hunk's gaze narrowed. He looked over the Altean with a great deal of suspicion.

"How do you know about that shuttle?" Hunk asked.

Tomyko's pointed ears drooped. She looked deeply ashamed now.

"I was looking for a way to get off this ship a few days ago," Tomyko confessed.

Nayni wasn't surprised. The only reason she must've stayed was because she really had nowhere to go. She was wanted by the Queen and the Galra would want their hands on any Altean they stumbled upon. Hunk was rather infuriated by Tomyko's confession. He just kept giving her the most disdainful glare that Nayni had ever seen.

"Cool, so you were willing to just ditch us all and steal some of our stuff," Hunk said. "That gives us tons of reason to not trust a single thing you say."

Shiro held up his hand to try and calm Hunk before he got even more worked up.

"It doesn't matter, she's here now," Shiro said.

Shiro's gaze flickered over Lotor and Tomyko. There was clearly something more he wanted to say but he seemed unsure of himself.

"-but," Shiro went on. "I don't think any of us are completely comfortable with leaving the two of you at Terrapin by yourself."

The Paladins nodded in agreement. Nayni's heart started beating faster. She knew what needed to be done. The Paladins needed to be together to fight the Queen. They needed the Castle and its powerful weapons systems. And Nayni knew that Coran could operate those defenses on his own.

"I'll go with them," Nayni said.

Coran went rigid. Nayni folded her hands behind her back to hide the fact that they were trembling slightly. Coran and Nayni had spent quite a bit of time apart in the past but things had shifted so drastically now. The idea of not being by his side during a battle was terrifying to her now. But she needed to do this. She was the expendable one. They needed someone for this job that could send out a distress beacon if needed. All they needed was an ally they trusted. They didn't need an expert pilot or military tactician. They just needed someone loyal and with a pulse.

"If things get hairy enough-I'm also rather talented at punching things," Nayni said.

She didn't sound very convincing. Allura didn't seem to be a fan of the suggestion. It touched Nayni that the Princess had such concern for her but the way she looked at her made Nayni feel rather old. Allura looked at her the same way that Nayni used to look at her mother when she'd gotten elderly and frail. Allura didn't need Nayni to take care of her anymore. She was perfectly capable of handling things herself. But Nayni still couldn't bear the thought that their dynamic had completely reversed.

* * *

The rains of Puig were a stark contrast to the ones of Altea. Nayni had grown up knowing the molten rock falling from the sky. It was like watching fiery stars come hurtling towards the ground. Rain on Altea was not a joke. Anytime Nayni had traveled off world she always felt so vulnerable because rarely did they have the same emergency shelters that were placed around Altea in case someone was caught in a storm unexpectedly.

The skies of Puig were blanketed in thick blue-grey clouds. It cast the sprawling desert in a dim light. She watched the green droplets of water descend from the sky. They coated the dusty ground with a thin layer of viscous fluid. Allura was leaning against the splintered pillar of the overhang. She looked like a young woman now. She was still an adolescent but running around amidst this war had aged her soul much faster. She rarely saw the Princess smile anymore. The edges of her lips were always down-turned in a frown.

The added humidity to the air was making the edges of their prosthetics peel off. They were going to spend another day hiding in their shack away from the rest of the villagers. It was not only boring but it frustrated Allura to no end. She would watch the newsfeeds and get worked up. All the Princess wanted was to join the fight. She wanted to help everyone she could. She detested sitting back like this, running like a fugitive. Nayni had started to tire of it too.

Every time she communicated with Coran, the news was bad. It seemed no matter what effort was being made that Zarkon's supernatural army kept pressing forward. He'd taken the homeworld of the Yellow Paladin despite all of the efforts that had been made. It had been a devastating blow to everyone's morale. Another world was now smoldering and enslaved. The sad truth was it was just another addition to the ever-growing list.

Allura held out her slender hand. She caught a few globs of the rain. She ran her fingers along her palm. The sticky green droplets clung to her fingertips. The Princess let out a sigh and flicked the globs onto the floor of the dusty porch. Nayni could feel that they were about to have a conversation that they'd had many a time since the war had started. Ever since Alfor had sent the two of them on the run, it would always come up. Nayni had never quite had an answer for her. There were just so many times that the Guard Captain could tell the Princess that they had a duty to keep hiding.

Allura's head was hung low and her ears were drooped. Even clad in this Puig disguise with a frown plastered on her face she was still such a strikingly beautiful young woman. She shouldn't be hiding on this far off planet. She should be in the Royal Palace chasing off the suitors that weren't worthy of her. She should have a smile on her face with her rich brown skin illuminated by the brilliant lights of the Palace chandeliers. She should be anywhere but here. Allura turned to look at the Guard Captain. The humidity had made some droplets of moisture accumulate on her flesh and her brown skin seemed to be sparkling.

"You said we'd have to be moving on soon, Nanny," Allura said.

Her indigo eyes fell to the ground. She was going to make the same plea she always made.

"Maybe we could go to father," Allura said.

Nayni never really knew where Alfor was. It had been part of her agreement with Coran that she'd never know their location. It would just be a risk they couldn't afford. But at this point, Nayni wanted it too. Allura was too wise now to fall for Nayni's terrible lies. She'd never really fallen for them anyway because Nayni was awful at lying.

"That would be the best change of pace wouldn't it?" Nayni said.

She shifted in her creaky wooden chair. She's spent many an evening on Puig sitting on this porch and watching the shifting colors of the sunset. Now the sky was just full of drab clouds and the horizon was masked in a thick veil of green-grey fog. Allura actually smiled. It was the smallest of grins but it warmed Nayni's heart.

"We could actually help with the fight," Allura mused. "I could help father put a stop to all of this."

Nayni wasn't sure how Alfor would feel about that plan. She knew he'd be overjoyed to be reunited with his daughter but he'd be rather displeased to see Nayni disobey his orders. Nayni leaned back in her chair, the woven strips of wood squeaked in protest. She was surprised that she hadn't actually broken the thing yet.

"You could try piloting the Black Lion," Nayni said. "I bet you could do it."

That idea actually made Allura's ears perk up. Allura shook her head.

"Father would be more suited for that than I would be," Allura said.

Nayni didn't agree with that. Allura could do anything she wanted. Nayni believed that girl was capable of achieving the impossible. She felt it down to her core.

"Well, if your father piloted the Black Lion than someone would have to pilot the Red Lion," Nayni said. "The whole point is to restore Voltron completely, remember?"

This conversation had taken a much lighter turn than Nayni had initially expected. It was a welcome change. Nayni could see Allura piloting the Red Lion too. She shared many traits with it. They were both fiery and independent. They both were difficult to sway. Allura was skeptical, it took facts and sound logic to win her approval. The Princess seemed to find this idea just as ridiculous.

"I don't know but-" Allura said.

Nayni could tell by the tone of her voice that she was about to be teased.

"Coran could maybe pilot the Red Lion," Allura said coyly.

The idea of seeing the Royal Advisor clad in the Red Paladin armor made Nayni flush. Honestly, picturing Alfor in the Black Paladin armor was just as pleasant of an image. Red was definitely Coran's color. She could see it so clearly in her head. He'd strut around in that armor with that signature devilish grin and flashing little winks to anyone he came across. But at the end of the day, it would be so nice for him to come home to her. To have him seize her by the waist and kiss her like some actress in a dreadful teledrama would be splendid. Nayni was letting her imagination get the better of her.

Thinking of Coran was such a bittersweet experience now. Nayni would still blush and try to hide her embarrassment but it'd been so long since she'd seen him. She missed him desperately. She wasn't even certain that she'd ever get to see him again.

"I'm glad he's not present to hear you say that," Nayni sighed. "That notion would make Mister Smythe puff out his chest like a Frillband bird during breeding season."

She would tease him but she would love to see that again. Allura snickered. They both couldn't fully enjoy the amusing scenario they were concocting. Their hearts were aching for the same reasons. Though Nayni harbored a secret one that was particularly heavy on her. Allura perked up a bit. She seemed to have seen an opening and she wanted to seize it.

"Well, if we go to father, I can tell him in person and vex you," Allura teased.

Nayni chuckled.

"It would be lovely but we can't," Nayni said.

She killed the mood with one swift move. Allura's cheeky smile fell away and she looked out at the desert. All they could hear was the sound of the thick green raindrops plopping on the earth.

"Aren't you tired of all of this?" Allura pressed. "I know you can't stand it either. Neither of us want to be sneaking around like this while we watch everything we love go up in flames."

Nayni did hate it but she had been given a job to do. She missed Coran and Altea. Her heart broke a little more with every day that went by but she could not betray Alfor in such a way. She wouldn't change the plan until the order came from his royal lips.

"I am tired of it, Lurie," Nayni admitted.

Nayni held out her hand. Allura crept over to her and knelt down. She hated that the Princess was taller than her now but she'd always known this day would come. She'd just wished that those years had gone by a bit more slowly. Allura held onto the tips of Nayni's thick fingers just as she did when she was a child. Nayni held onto the Princess's hands. Nayni's grasp was firm and reassuring.

"I know it's hard when all of your gut instincts are screaming for you to do something but you can't," Nayni said. "Doing the right thing isn't always easy. Sometimes its hard to accept. But I trust your father's judgment. This is where we need to be. How we feel about it doesn't matter."

Allura nodded. She knew it was true too. Nayni was certain they'd have this conversation again. Allura needed to be reminded again and again why things were the way they were. Nayni needed that reminder too sometimes. She wanted nothing more than to go back home. She wanted to stand side by side with her Guardsmen and defend Altea. She wanted to be apart of this fight just as much as Allura did. She wanted to be with Coran too. Nayni felt a twinge of guilt over it but it was true. She missed him the most. He was the one person she was truly fighting for.

* * *

Lotor was going through the steps of his preflight check before they left for Terrapin. Nayni watched the Galra Prince creeping around inside his strange vessel. It was so sleek and well designed. It looked more like some kind of perfectly evolved insect than an inorganic vessel. The hangar was dimly lit and the tension in the air was thick. Tomyko was hovering around the shuttle pod that Pidge had modified. The woman was going to great lengths to not look any of them in the eye.

Coran had stolen away to Nayni's side before they departed. She knew they were going to have a chat before they parted ways for the mission. They hadn't done it in front of the Paladins. They never would show such vulnerability that openly in front of them. Nayni could feel his presence behind her. Just knowing he was there made her back feel as if it were tingling. It was as if some electric energy had kept them bonded together now.

When she looked at him, his posture was rigid and his expression was grim. Nayni didn't expect that Lotor or Tomyko would be within earshot. They both seemed so wrapped up in making their own preparations to care about these two old lovers. Nayni approached him as quietly as she could. Every step she took was still far too loud for her comfort. They both were trying to maintain formalities but she doubted that was going to last terribly long.

She looked up at him and tried to smother the worry and sorrow that were starting to take hold of her. Even after all they'd been through she still never knew how to start off a difficult conversation with him. Nayni chewed on her bottom lip awkwardly. He reached up and stroked the curve of her cheek. Nayni grabbed him by the wrist and kept his hand close to her face. During times like these, any moment could be the last time they saw each other or touched each other.

Coran looked over the hangar cautiously before he pulled her closer. Nayni buried her face in his chest and took in his scent. She savored the warmth of his body. She needed to carry these memories with her on this mission.

"I'm not terribly keen on this plan," Coran said. "I quite enjoy barking orders at you in the heat of battle."

He always turned to humor to try and distract her from the state of things. She smiled and ran her fingers along the edge of his collar.

"I rather be with you and the Paladins," Nayni admitted. "But this is for the best."

Pidge wanted someone to be there for her brother that she could trust. All of them wanted somebody there to keep an eye on Lotor and Tomyko. She was confident that things would go well for Terrapin but she didn't know what would happen with the Queen's militia. Their previous encounters with them had been close calls. She couldn't hide her fear from him.

"Do your best to bring them all back to me," Nayni pleaded.

He tenderly rubbed the back of her neck and Nayni let out a sigh.

"And you better come back in one piece," Nayni said. "I've gone through far too much effort to have you to just lose you now."

She didn't like his silence. He kept planting kisses on her forehead and she could feel the coarse hairs of his mustache tickling her skin. When he held her she felt a thousand times stronger. She felt as if they could do anything but Nayni knew that wasn't exactly realistic. He pulled her closer and tilted her head. She could feel his damp, warm breath on her ear.

"I couldn't stand to lose you again," Coran whispered.

He'd thought her dead once. He'd thought that she'd been dead for thousands of years. Coran had actually mourned for her. This fact had slipped her mind. They'd barely discussed it but Nayni couldn't imagine that agony. She'd stepped into that sleep chamber knowing it was possible to lose him but he'd truly thought she was gone. It hadn't just been a possibility to him. It had been a fact for Coran. They'd lost everything but even she had to admit the thought of losing him was one of the harder ones to bear.

"Don't do anything rash," Coran pressed.

She wasn't sure if she could keep that promise. Lotor was a bit of a brat and Tomyko's temper would probably push Nayni over the edge. She patted him on the back.

"Well, I rather not disappoint you so I will do my best," Nayni said.

It wouldn't truly matter if they broke their promises to each other, they were probably going to be overjoyed to be back in each other's arms no matter what happened. And if one of them was lost, the other would just keep carrying on. It's what they were best at. It's what they'd always done. It would be heart wrenching and awful but they would keep moving forward.

"I love you," Nayni whispered.

He squeezed her so tightly that she could barely breathe.

"I love you too," Coran said.

Nayni wriggled onto her tiptoes to kiss him. She had intended for it to be a rather formal gesture but it quickly became something else. Coran grabbed her by the back of the head. They got rather carried away but Nayni took no issue with him sliding his tongue into her mouth. This wasn't exactly the place for them to have their way with each other. It would've been a splendid parting gift but Nayni didn't want an audience. It was painful to pull away from him. She found herself feeling rather flustered again.

"Have you finished?" Tomyko snapped.

Coran and Nayni looked to the Altean. She stood rigid with her head held high. Her stare was icy cold. Nayni had already accepted that this woman wasn't her wife. But Tomyko still seemed to be wrestling with this fact. It probably didn't help that the Coran that Tomyko had come to know was a monster in her reality. Tomyko clenched her jaw.

"We need to get going," Tomyko said.

They did need to leave but her attitude didn't exactly have Nayni eager to be in her company. Nayni gave Coran an awkward pat on the shoulder and smiled half-heartedly.

"Don't worry, Coran," Nayni assured. "We both know I'm exceptionally good at babysitting difficult children."

Tomyko scowled. Nayni never thought she'd have this sentiment about another person but the woman really needed to loosen up a bit. Yes, these circumstances were slightly awkward and very stressful but there was no changing things. Nayni couldn't undo the horrors that had occurred in Tomyko's reality and she certainly wasn't going to change the state of her own. Tearing herself away from Coran was still agonizing but she did her best to hide that from the others.

Tomyko stood on the pod's loading ramp. Nayni marched up behind her, trying to look as intimidating as possible. She partially did it for herself. She needed to feel as big and scary as possible if she was supposed to keep Lotor and Tomyko in check. Neither of them were going to be easy to deal with. Lotor especially would be quite troublesome. As long as Nayni believed that she could, she'd be able to do her duty. She'd stick them in a corner like a couple of pouting children if that's what would be required.


	25. No More Drama

Coran had stood in solitude on the Castle's bridge dozens of time without a problem but without Nayni by his side, he felt vulnerable. He knew she'd be furious if she found out he'd allowed her to distract him for even a tik. The truth of the matter was he'd never really needed her help to man the Castle's defenses. He'd just wanted her near so he didn't have to worry about her. The Castle was hurtling through a wormhole towards a deadly battle with the Queen's militia. Coran and the Paladins had plenty to worry about on their own but he kept thinking about what would happen with Nayni and the rebels.

All of the communication channels were open. Coran had the Blade of Marmora and the Paladins by his side. He'd never needed anything more. Strategically it was more than enough. They'd won victories with much fewer resources. They were up against an enemy that they barely knew anything about, just as they had hundreds of times before. He still couldn't shake the sense of dread that was hanging over him. The Castle emerged from the wormhole and bucked.

Coran quickly adjusted the controls to steady the massive vessel. He watched the Marmora ships sweep around the Castle in a defensive patrol. Aside from the presence of the Lions, the system seemed unremarkable. This only made him feel even more uneasy. The planet before him was massive. The yellow and green atmosphere of Apocritia looked like a swirling pool of toxic chemicals. The clumps of asteroids that were caught in its orbits tumbled and bounced off of one another.

Coran's eyes darted over to the tracking monitor. Pidge's program was still running without issue. He could still see that cluster of red blips heading for their location. The radar pinged rhythmically as the Queen's militia drew closer. They should be right on top of them. The system remained silent. He could hear the hum of the Castle's systems and the light chatter over the communication lines. There was nothing threatening that he could see in the endless stretch of twinkling stars.

The Blue Lion weaved between two small asteroids. It looked like a cat peeking around furniture as it hunted for a juicy space mouse.

"I can feel so much quintessence here," Allura said over the radio. "They're here."

Coran pulled up another program on the monitor. The quintessence readings in the area were off the charts but the Queen's fleet was nowhere to be seen. Keith's fighter probed into another cluster of asteroids.

"This doesn't feel right," Keith said over the communicator. "Where are they?"

Coran's gaze kept darting over all of the information on the monitors before him. Everything the Castle was picking up said that the Queen was here. Pidge's tracking program indicated that they were right in front of them. He already felt sweat beading up on his forehead. His left ear twitched from the anxiety. The back of his neck tingled as if someone was standing right behind him. Coran glanced over his shoulder. He was still alone on the bridge. He felt a twinge of shame over letting that paranoia get to him.

The Green Lion swooped right towards the vacant patch of space where the Other Castle was supposed to be. Pidge fired off a cautionary shot. The blue round bounced off of something. There was a flicker of red that broke up the darkness and Coran gulped. The vision of the spacescape around them dissolved and the Other Castle emerged from the void. The twisted black vessel was engulfed in its scarlet particle barrier and immediately began raining down laser fire on Coran's comrades. Coran brought up the blue particle barrier and frantically began setting up the targeting parameters for the Castle's systems.

He watched the Lions and the Blades ships swerve around the asteroids. They fired off shots at the enemy fighters. Tiny explosions peppered the battlefield like splatters of paint on a canvas. Coran's eyes narrowed as his hands danced over the controls. The Castle's gleaming blue lasers slammed into the enemy's red particle barrier. Sparks flung off of the flickering shield in every direction. A stray shot of red laser fire smacked into the Castle's barrier as Coran steered the vessel behind a cluster of asteroids. He wanted as much cover as he could possibly get.

Preserving the integrity of the particle barrier would be critical if they wanted to hold out for as long as they possibly could. The Lions weaved through the field, taking out as many of the enemy drones as they could. The Blades swept around and tried to hold off any of the drones that got by and tried to make it to the planet's surface. The main display lit up with a flashing yellow window. The system's residents were haling the Castle.

Coran's left hand continued to work the controls as he reached over and opened up the channel. The garbled image of a golden, insect-like alien appeared on the monitor. The Apocritian's mandibles clicked and its antennae twitched. It didn't seem to be very expressive but Coran could tell they were terrified.

"Are our scanners broken? There appears to be two of your Castles?" The Apocritian pressed.

Its voice sounded so monotone and almost had a robotic quality. Coran barely glanced over at the communications monitor as he spoke.

"I know this may seem rather alarming, but I promise the Coalition will keep you safe," Coran assured.

Even though he was frantically working the controls he took great care to make his voice sound as calm and comforting as possible. Coran wiped the sweat from his forehead on his glove. The alien clicked its sharp mandibles and nodded.

"The Hive will send whatever we have to help with this fight," The Apocritian said.

Coran patched the alien transmission through. He had a wicked smirk on his face. He'd like to see The Queen and The Advisor try to win this fight with an entire planet's army rushing towards them _and_ Voltron.

"I've got a present for you, Shiro," Coran said coyly.

He watched the alien ships streaming into space from the planet's surface. The golden, geometrically shaped vessels surrounded the battlefield like an impenetrable wall. The more enemy drones and fighters that the Lions took out, the more of them seemed to come pouring out of the Other Castle. They would need to form Voltron soon. It appeared that Tomyko's prediction had been accurate. The Castle shook as it took another hit from the enemy's main cannon. Coran braced himself on the main control panel. The particle barrier flickered but it's integrity levels remained high. The Black Lion swung around the Other Castle to regroup with the other Lions.

Shiro's voice boomed over the communicator. Coran had known the Black Paladin for quite some time now but he still found the way he led to be awe-inspiring.

"Everyone, focus your fire on the enemy's barrier," Shiro ordered.

Coran watched a barrage of different colored lasers rain down on the scarlet particle barrier. He adjusted his controls and watched the Castle's main cannon fire off. It sliced through an asteroid and slammed into the enemy's barrier. The Other Castle jerked and their shields started to flicker. They might actually have them this time. Coran didn't want to get his hopes up. This enemy was clever, they probably had a few tricks up their sleeve. He was painfully aware of this because he was up against another version of himself.

The Lions flew in that familiar formation and Coran grinned. He could see Voltron form a thousand more times and it still would never cease to fill him with hope. He watched the Lions dance around one another. The raging battle seemed to come to a halt as Voltron came together in an explosion of light. The superweapon plunged through a cluster of drones and weaved through a web of red laser fire. Their allies continued to pick off whatever enemy fighters they could.

Voltron was barreling towards the Other Castle. Its massive sword was held at the ready. They were going to carve right through their particle barrier. It seemed too easy now. Coran felt a twinge of fear. Something just felt wrong. Before Voltron could swing its blade against the scarlet barrier, the Other Castle pulled back. It fired a weapon that they had never seen before. A twisting, writhing red laser beam erupted from one of their cannons. It looked like some supernatural creature that was swimming through the abyss of space.

The beam seemed to slice through the very fabric of space. It ripped open a massive rift in the middle of the battlefield. Red and violet lightning poured out of the rift. It'd undulated and spasmed like some organic passage rendered from flesh and blood. A fleet of dreadnoughts poured out of the rift. They were sleek and black. They looked just like the Altean warships of old but as if they'd been tainted by something ancient and insidious.

Coran's heart sank. Tomyko had mentioned this technology. She'd told them that the Other Castle possessed the power to travel through the barriers between realities. They'd observed one of these rifts before but to actually see it formed right before his eyes was jarring. To witness the enemy vessels come streaming out of that unnatural passage again was still rather unsettling. He was frozen for a moment. It was both fascinating and terrifying.

Coran tried to shake off the fear that was starting to consume him. He furiously began readjusting the Castle's defenses. He unleashed everything they had on the enemy's dreadnoughts. The new arrivals were already tearing apart their ally's ships. Only Voltron seemed to be able to make a dent in them. Tomyko had been right about that too. If Voltron wasn't here, Coran didn't know if they'd be able to hold out. He watched the superweapon slice through one of the enemy dreadnoughts. The sleek black vessel split in half and was consumed in a ball of flame.

Coran felt his chest tightening. That eerie sensation washed over him again. He felt as if someone was standing behind him and watching his every move. The tingling sensation on the back of his neck was even stronger now. Coran looked over his shoulder and there was nothing there yet again. He could feel it down to his core though. He was not alone. He clenched his jaw, his violet eyes darted all around the bridge. The Castle continued to buck and shake. The battle raged on around him but he felt frozen.

The dimensional rift closed as Voltron fired its massive yellow cannon at another dreadnought. Coran still couldn't shake that feeling. It felt as if a pair of icy cold hands were gripping his shoulders. That frigidity spread through his body and made him shiver. His ear twitched as he felt the faintest wisp of chilly air flutter over his flesh.

"We're going to kill you all."

The voice that whispered in his ear was dripping with malice. It made Coran shudder. The sound had come out of nowhere. It was like a spirit had passed through him and taunted him. That voice was so cold and distant. It harbored a deep, relentless hunger. It wasn't the fact that it had appeared from thin air. It wasn't troubling that these foreign words had manifested in an empty room. What bothered him was that it was the sound of his own voice that he'd heard. It had cut through the sound of the radio chatter and the booming explosions. It had been a threat meant only for his ears.

* * *

Being on the shuttle with Tomyko was far more awkward than Nayni had been expecting. It was a rather cramped situation. Nayni didn't take much issue having to sit next to this other version of her wife but Tomyko was stiff as a board. She seemed to be going to great lengths to not make eye contact with Nayni either. It was incredibly frustrating. They should be past this point by now. If Tomyko hadn't been hiding in her quarters like a child and faced the facts they wouldn't be here right now. It was just another reminder to Nayni that the Altean woman sitting next to her wasn't the same person she married.

 _Her_ Tomyko handled everything with such grace. She always confronted personal tensions head on and resolved them before things could fester like this. She could make the most uncomfortable of situations seem trivial and easy to resolve. The Tomyko sitting next to Nayni just seemed completely determined to avoid everything that was mildly upsetting to her.

Nayni gripped the control stick for the massive turret mounted on top of the shuttle. Firing off that thing was probably the only thing she was going to be able to do to help. If Tomyko or Lotor tried to pull something it would be up to Nayni or the rebels to try and stop them. If the Galra Prince had as much sway over the Terrapin as he claimed, then they might not be able to rely on them for help if he turned on them. She wasn't sure this was really a concern anymore. Lotor hadn't done much to actively sabotage them but something about him still didn't sit right with Nayni.

The shuttle's radio crackled. The communication system on this tiny vessel wasn't nearly as sophisticated as the one on the Castle. The boxy rebel ships were already circling around Terrapin. The bulky, brown Terrapin dreadnoughts were puttering around their planet at a sluggish pace. Their hulls looked like they were impenetrable. She could hear Lotor and the rebels checking in over the communications channels. Nayni reached for the transmit button. Tomyko's hand recoiled from the shuttle's controls and she stiffened. Her immaturity was particularly vexing given the circumstances.

Nayni just sighed and pressed down on the transmission key. She'd heard the vaguely familiar sound of Matt's voice come over the speakers. She'd barely interacted with him but he sounded rather similar to Pidge so there was no mistaking who it was.

"Mister Holt, I promised your sister that I would allow no harm to come to you," Nayni said. "So do your best to stay alive, I've seen how she is when she's angry. I rather not incur her wrath."

Nayni heard Matt chuckle over the radio. Lotor's sleek violet vessel swooped through Nayni's field of view.

"They're coming," Lotor said over the radio. "Let's _all_ do our best not to perish today."

Nayni shifted in the shuttle's tiny seat. This endeavor was going to be uncomfortable for

multiple reasons. Tomyko leaned forward and gazed out of the cockpit. They watched the Galra fleet jump into the star system. Seeing the massive violet ships made Nayni feel just the slightest bit of panic. Having Voltron around had made her feel significantly more confident in the past. And with the Castle being absent as well she felt even more vulnerable. The Galra warships didn't hesitate. They immediately opened fire on the rebel forces.

She watched Lotor fly at the front lines with the Terrapin vessels in formation behind him. They deployed their massive green shields. The rounds from the Galra fighters bounced off of the shields like insects flying into a net. Lotor was already issuing orders over the communications channels. The rebels seemed to be reluctantly following his lead. Tomyko hesitated before she pushed forward on a lever and the shuttle launched forward.

It was going to take a great deal of restraint on Nayni's part to not retch. Tomyko was a good pilot as she had claimed but Nayni never handled the dramatic dips and turns that were required for effectively piloting during a dogfight very well. Tomyko yanked the yolk to the left and the shuttle jerked. A blast from one of the Galra fighters grazed the surface of the shuttle. Tomyko maneuvered the shuttle back around and Nayni was thrown back in her seat.

Nayni wrapped her stubby fingers more tightly around the joystick. She aimed the turret's crosshairs on her tiny monitor and opened fire. The whole shuttle shook as the turret unleashed its rounds on the enemy fighter. Nayni struggled to maintain her grip on the controls. She desperately missed the smooth comfort of the Castle now that she was stuck on this cramped shuttle. Tomyko swerved the shuttle around. Nayni locked on to another target and opened fire.

Tomyko shook her head and her fiery hair whipped around her.

"Not that one!" Tomyko growled. "Are you daft?"

Nayni scowled and held her finger down on the trigger. She watched the massive rounds slam into the Galra drone until it was just a mass of smoldering, twisted metal. Tomyko groaned with frustration.

"Are you just going to sit over there and do whatever you please?" Tomyko hissed. "I'm the expert pilot here, remember?"

Nayni tried to take a deep breath to calm herself but it didn't do much to help.

"I know what I'm doing!" Nayni said through gritted teeth.

She only actually barely knew what she was doing but she wasn't a fan of being snapped at like some undisciplined child. Tomyko plunged the shuttle forward. Her eyes were narrowed and her nostrils were flared in anger. Nayni pulled back on her joystick and swept the turret across the battlefield. It was actually rather thrilling to unload the laser rounds on all of these ships. The feel of the shuttle shaking from the sheer force of the gun was rather invigorating. Tomyko didn't find this nearly as amusing.

"Instead of shooting all willy-nilly why don't you try actually targeting something?" Tomyko pressed. "Or-I dunno _actually taking out a fighter_?"

Nayni was not going to put up with this in the middle of a quiznacking battle. She shot Tomyko a nasty look. Her olive skin was starting to redden with rage.

"If you spent more time concentrating on your flying maybe we'd actually be contributing!" Nayni snapped.

Tomyko pulled back her fist, Nayni thought the Altean was about to punch her square in the jaw. The shuttle's radio crackled as Lotor's vessel swooped by in front of them. The laser of his ship tore through a cluster of Galra drones.

"Knock it off!" Lotor hissed.

His ship swung back around and took out another pack.

"And here I thought you were the one who was supposed to be doing the babysitting, Nanny," Lotor teased.

Tomyko and Nayni exchanged rather disgusted looks. She was stuck on this shuttle so she would have to make the best of things. Tomyko pushed forward on the throttle and the shuttle plunged deeper into the fray. Nayni locked on to another target and began firing. Tomyko opened her mouth but Nayni didn't even give her a tik to speak.

"If you're going to yell at me, I'm just going to shove my fist down your throat," Nayni said.

Tomyko closed her mouth. Her eyes widened with rage. She steered the shuttle even more wildly. It wove through the Galra drones. Nayni's head bounced off the back of her seat with every swerve the shuttle made. It was doing little to help her temper. She tried to just focus on taking down as many targets as she could. If she even glanced at Tomyko for more than a tik she was certain she'd just end up throttling the woman.

One of the heavily armored Terrapin warships slammed into a Galra dreadnought like a battering ram. It slammed right through the Galra's shields and tore off the nose of the dreadnought. A string of other warships followed suit and smashed the dreadnought to pieces. After seeing that remarkable bit of strategy Nayni wondered if the Terrapin vessels even needed guns to win a fight. Tomyko steered the shuttle through the cluster of rubble that had been left in the wake of all that destruction. A hunk of metal clipped the side of the shuttle and Nayni was nearly flung out of her seat by the force of the impact.

"Do you mind!?" Nayni growled.

Tomyko jerked the yolk in the opposite direction and the shuttle swayed. Nayni thought she was going to vomit all over her controls.

"I'm just trying to keep us alive!" Tomyko snapped.

Nayni laughed. It was very sarcastic and it seemed to fill Tomyko with more rage.

"If that's the case then why do you insist on trying to kill us?" Nayni asked.

Tomyko grew so angry she was shaking. Nayni was taken aback by the way the red-head looked at her. There was nothing but disdain in those narrow violet eyes of hers.

"Do you have to comment on everything?" Tomyko seethed. "You're always barking at me like I'm some child! I know what I'm doing! I know more about fighting a war than you do! Why can't you just sit there and do what I say like-"

A massive round from one of the Galra dreadnoughts slammed into the side of the shuttle. The right wing snapped off and smoke started to pour into the cockpit. The ship spun around through the vacuum of space. It slammed into another hunk of debris. The earsplitting sound of metal slicing through metal echoed through the shuttle. Nayni felt blood trickling down the side of her face. A sharp, searing pain was radiating from her forearm. The shuttle continued to spiral out of control and the pain she was experiencing was so intense that Nayni thought she was going to faint.

She could barely understand the chatter coming over the radio. There was frantic shouting that was breaking through the loud static. Her head lulled to the side and she saw Tomyko pulling back on the yolk. Her red hair was a mess and she was shouting desperately over the communicator. Tomyko's head whipped around. Her eyes were wide and full of fear. Nayni was fixated on the shapes her red lips were making as she spoke frantically.

Tomyko seemed to regain control of the shuttle. It still was bucking and swerving wildly through the battlefield but the wild spiral to their death had stopped. Tomyko's arms were trembling as she struggled to maintain control over the shuttle. The rebel's flagship swooped in front of them. It's hangar doors were wide open. Nayni could barely make out the shape of the boxy ship amidst all the smoke and fire. The shuttle weaved and bucked as Tomyko steered it into the rebel ship.

The shuttle slammed into the hangar. It skidded across the floor. It left a trail of scrapes across the rough metallic hull. The shuttle jerked as it slammed into the interior wall of the hangar. Nayni was starting to see stars across her vision. She couldn't summon the strength to move. She could still hear the muffled sounds of the battle going on around them. She could hear the screech of the rickety hangar door as it started to close.

Tomyko's face was just a blur to Nayni as the Altean pulled her out of the cockpit. Tomyko dragged her across the floor of the shuttle. She knew the pod had ceased spinning but Nayni still felt like everything around her was crumbling away. She felt the warm trickle of her blood sliding down the curve of her face and down her neck. The sleeve on her right arm felt damp and hot from the blood that had soaked into the fabric. Coran was going to be most upset with her. She desperately hoped that things were going better for him than they were for her.

* * *

Despite the reinforcements that had arrived, they were finally pushing back the Queen's militia. The Castle's particle barrier was barely holding itself together now and Coran felt drained but they were winning this. That ethereal threat that had been made against him was the act of a coward. They'd had minimal casualties. With the help of the Apocritians, the Blades and Voltron they were actually going to win this. He hoped things were going just as well in the Terrapin system.

Red lights were flashing and several of the Castle's alarm systems were going off. Coran was doing his best to contain the issues from the bridge. He had dispersed almost all of the Castle's maintenance drones to do his bidding. The scene outside seemed just as much, if not more chaotic. The asteroid belt was littered with smoking debris. Only a few of the Queen's warships remained intact. The scarlet barrier engulfing the other Castle was barely able to stay up for more than a few tiks. It kept flickering and it's red glow only grew dimmer with each deployment. Voltron soared through the battlefield. Chunks of an asteroid and stray scraps of fighters would bounce off of its massive shield. Once the last of these warships were destroyed they could go for the Other Castle.

They'd struggled quite a bit and Coran had felt a great deal of fear but he never lost hope for a single moment. He couldn't allow that to happen. Voltron cut through the last of the dreadnoughts. It erupted in flame. It splintered into a million pieces that were flung across the battlefield. The Marmora fighters dodged the debris. Their allies did not need any of Shiro's orders to jump back into action. They all immediately started firing on the Other Castle. Coran typed into the main control panel. He lit up every conceivable target he could and watched as the Castle unleashed everything it had on their enemy.

Voltron started barreling towards the Other Castle. It was going to ram the massive vessel with its shield. The superweapon plummeted towards the scarlet particle barrier. Every tik that slipped by felt like an eon of agonizing tension to Coran. The Other Castle fired off its twisted cannon again. Voltron weaved out of the way. The undulating laser raced past them, it sliced through a cluster of golden Apocritian ships that had made up the barricade around the planet. Coran watched in horror as the beam slammed into the glowing green surface of the planet.

The alien world was split in half as the rift tore open. The glowing red edges of the rift twitched and undulated. The dark chasm swallowed up chunks of the planetary debris. Coran had just witnessed billions of lives disappear. They'd just been snuffed out from the face of existence within a tik. Coran's hands hovered over the control panel. He was shaking. An entire world had just been cut in half. An entire civilization had just been pushed to the brink of extinction.

More of the Queen's warships poured out of the rift. It was endless. The Other Castle retreated. Coran watched as they opened a Teludav portal and disappeared down the wormhole. Coran was still in such shock that he could barely command his limbs to move. He could hear Allura's desperate, heartbreaking pleas over the communication channels.

"We have to get them out of here," Allura said. "We have to evacuate as many of them as we possibly can!"

Coran got a hold of himself. He opened up the hangar doors to prepare for the massive influx of refugees. He knew they wouldn't be able to get them all. It was impossible but Allura wouldn't accept it. He knew she never would. The visage of the insectoid alien had vanished from Coran's monitor. It sent a chill down his spine when he just calmly accepted that they were dead.

Voltron flew around the new wave of enemy dreadnoughts as the rift closed behind them. The geometric golden ships were the last remnants of this entire alien civilization. They rushed towards the Castle. They swarmed around in pure chaos. They were dodging debris, lasers, and asteroids. With every Apocritian ship that fell, Coran felt more guilt. They'd failed. They'd failed this entire race of people that they'd vowed to protect. He watched the two halves of the planet slowly drift farther and farther away from each other. It looked as if someone had just sliced a chunk out of the planet. An entire world had been vivisected like a science experiment.

The communication channels were overwhelmed. They were flooded with the frantic cries of his allies and desperate, frightened refugees. He didn't even know where they would take them or what they would do with them. Coran knew from personal experience that there was little to be done to comfort people who'd just lost everything they'd ever known. There were no words that could be said to even begin to heal that immense wound. His monitors continued to light up as refugee ships started to land in the hangar.

He had to block out the sound of Lance comforting Allura over the communications channels. If he didn't focus on manning the Castle defenses he was going to fall apart too. He'd seen a lot of atrocities during the war with the Galra. He'd seen entire civilizations enslaved and worlds turn to ash. This was just as horrendous. This was just as incomprehensibly horrific that he couldn't conceive of a logical reason for why anyone would commit such an act.

The Queen's warships were starting to push them back. They kept picking off the golden Apocritian ships like they were squashing a trail of insects at a picnic. Shiro's voice cut through all the chaos on the communication channels. It was like a beacon of light amidst all the darkness.

"We need to make a jump," Shiro said. "We can't stay here any longer."

Allura started to protest and it felt as if someone had punched Coran in the gut. Coran started prepping the Teludav for the jump. He didn't want to either. He wanted to stay and keep fighting until they had nothing left to give. But if they stuck around for that long, then there would be no one to bring this destruction to an end. They had to now. After seeing this, they had no choice. The Queen was just as vile as the Galra. Some of the refugee ships hovered around the Blades, the others continued to try and squeeze into the Castle's hangar. All their hopes were riding on fitting them all into the wormhole.

Allura powered up the Teludav. Coran watched as the violet-blue portal erupted in the center of the smoldering battlefield. The Blades dove for the portal, a stream of refugee ships were tailing them. Red laser fire rained down on them. Coran felt numb. He steered the Castle into the portal and Voltron flew in behind him. They had taken as many people with them as they could. The population they'd saved was just a fraction of what had existed just moments ago. Once they emerged on the other side of the wormhole, everything that they'd left behind would be consumed by the Queen's fleet. That realization made him sick.


	26. A Moment Like This

Allura and Nayni were supposed to be moving to one of the Altean colonies but their plans had changed. They'd barely departed from Puig and things had already fallen to pieces. Nayni had hoped a brief stay with her people would help lift Allura's spirits but that wasn't going to happen. Nayni had already informed the ship's pilots that they needed to change their course. The young Alteans had obeyed her without question. Nayni had just picked the next safest system at random for their final destination. If Coran had contacted them a moment later they might've flown right into the Galra fleet.

Zarkon had just started to pick off the Altean colonies. Nayni had hoped this one would be safe since it was located in a rather distant system but she'd been mistaken. She'd consulted with Coran and explained her intentions. He'd been on board with the plan but neither of them had expected this to happen. This colony had a small population of Alteans and most of the planet's resources were common and found throughout the universe. It held little strategic value to anyone. The only reason for the Galra to attack it was out of pure bloodlust.

Nayni was marching down the hallway to Allura's tiny quarters. She knew the Princess was going to be devastated for multiple reasons. Her people were being slaughtered and they were running away again. This had happened over and over but Nayni didn't know how much longer she could placate the girl. Allura was growing more and more determined to do something. She was desperate to take any kind of action to fight back. Nayni had started to reach a breaking point too, the only thing that kept her going was the fact that she knew this was what Alfor had decided was the best way she could serve her people.

With every grim turn this war took, the more Nayni had to wrestle with her own desires. Zarkon was slowly stripping away the Altean empire. It was as if he was taking some twisted delight in slowly ripping off the limbs of an injured creature. Nayni didn't think he was ever going to stop until his heart quit beating and _permanently_ this time. She wanted to be the one to do it. Nayni imagined that's how a lot of Alteans felt now. Even the most peaceful of races could turn vengeful if pushed hard enough.

Nayni hovered in front of the door to Allura's quarters. This conversation was not going to be pretty. There was probably going to be a great deal of shouting and crying involved. Nayni typed her clearance code into the console on the wall and took a deep breath. She was already struggling to keep her cool. It was going to be an endeavor for both of them. The door to Allura's quarters slid open. The Princess was just sitting on her cot, with her head hung low. She'd changed her hair color back to its natural silver hue. It had been so long since Nayni had seen her like this that it felt like she'd traveled back in time.

Allura looked at Nayni. She already seemed to know that things had taken a turn. Nayni's expression had probably given everything away. Nayni stepped into the chamber and the door slid closed behind her. She didn't want anyone walking in on this conversation. If the Princess was going to pop off she didn't want the other Alteans on this vessel to see it. They needed to believe that their future leader was levelheaded and collected no matter what was thrown at her. It would give them the strength they needed during these dire times.

Allura was already shaking her head. Her eyes narrowed in anger. Nayni could already see that fire in her sparking.

"So what are we running from this time?" Allura pressed.

The Princess was clenching her jaw. She was already struggling to hold back. Nayni didn't even know if she could muster up the will to try and keep calm either.

"There's a Galra fleet currently taking over the Ioto colony," Nayni said.

She just put it out there so bluntly. There was no avoiding the truth. She didn't know how to present things in a gentler way. She didn't know how to make bad news easier to swallow. That was Coran's forte. Allura gritted her teeth.

"We could help them," Allura said. "This ship has weapons, it has room to take on refugees. Yet we're running away."

The look that Allura was giving her made Nayni feel as if someone had stabbed her in the heart. She knew the Princess didn't hate her but there was such bitterness in her gaze. There was such resentment stirring within her. Nayni couldn't really blame her for it. It was always the Guard Captain that was telling Allura that they couldn't help. It was always up to Nayni to hold her back and smuggle her away to some secret place. The Princess hadn't spoken to her father in Groggery knows how long and all she was allowed to do was sit back and watch the universe burn.

"This one ship alone won't do much, Lurie," Nayni said. "I'm sorry but I can't put you in danger like that."

Allura's indigo eyes were tearing up. She bit down on her bottom lip.

"So my one life is worth more than an _entire_ colony?" Allura said bitterly.

Allura got to her feet. The slender girl seemed to tower over Nayni.

"I get to just sit safely on this quiznacking ship while thousands of people die?" Allura pressed. "That's _our_ people, Nanny."

Allura started for her. Her ears were red with anger. Her indigo eyes seemed to be aflame. Nayni just stood there, trying to remain as calm as possible. The Guard Captain clenched her fist behind her back.

"How can you not care?" Allura seethed. "How can you keep letting this go on? We could go right now! We could go back there and help them!"

Allura was shaking she was so enraged.

"How can you be so cold while our people spill their blood for my father and their world burns?" Allura shouted. "You can't be content to keep running like this! My life is not worth more than anyone else's! What if it was Coran down there?"

Nayni bit down on her tongue to stop herself from striking Allura. The pain was sharp and the metallic taste of her own blood flooded her mouth. The Princess had fought with her quite a bit since they'd been on the run but she'd never made such a low blow.

"Enough!" Nayni snapped.

She took a deep breath to try and smother her rising temper.

"You will not bring Mister Smythe into this," Nayni said.

Allura wasn't having it. The Princess just held her head high and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm going to bring up anything I want," Allura said. "Especially if it's the truth. You wouldn't hesitate to go against Father's orders if Coran was in danger. Why should any other Altean be treated differently?"

She hated how Allura could see through her. It was true. Nayni hated to admit it. Her hands were trembling. It would be easy for Nayni to betray everything she believed in for that man. It made her feel sick with guilt but even an entire planet of Altean colonists dying didn't have the same effect on her that Coran did.

"I don't want this anymore either, Lurie," Nayni said.

Her voice was cracking.

"This is driving me mad," Nayni went on. "The running. Being away from everyone we know while Zarkon tears the universe apart. I hate this. I hate seeing you this way. I hate watching our world slowly crumble to ashes."

She shouldn't let her emotions run wild like this. It was terribly inappropriate. Her honesty was breaking through to Allura though. Allura rested her hand over her heart, her eyes fell to the dusty floor of her cabin. The look of disdain on the Princess's face had transformed into an expression of sadness. Nayni couldn't hold it back anymore. The nostrils of her button nose were flared. Her brow was furrowed and the worry lines on her forehead spread out like a web.

"The selfish thoughts eat away at me like a parasite," Nayni said. "I have thought about taking us back to the Castle every single day since we left Altea."

Nayni had crossed a boundary with Allura but she couldn't go back now.

"And yes, I miss _him_ ," Nayni confessed. "That is what hurts the most."

The Guard Captain was choking on her own words. She knew she didn't have to say Coran's name for Allura to know who she was speaking of. She missed her friend desperately. She mourned the opportunities that she'd thrown away with him. It wasn't a full confession but she could never tell Allura the entirety of it. But putting that little piece of herself out in the universe made if feel as if she'd just given up an immense burden.

"But I believe in Alfor," Nayni said. "I believe he knows what is the right thing to do and I will follow him even if it takes me to my grave."

Allura wrapped her long slender arms around Nayni and pulled her closer. Allura's body was wracked with sobs. Nayni gently patted her on the back. The Princess needed to let it all out. She needed to get it out so she could keep going on. Allura was a good head taller than Nayni but she still felt like a child in her arms.

"It's just so hard, Nanny," Allura choked. "I don't know how much longer I can bear this."

Nayni had felt like she'd reached the breaking point a dozen times by now but she'd kept holding on. Doing her duty faithfully was the only thing she felt she had any more. All of her hopes were wrapped up in this young woman. All the dreams she had about the red-haired Royal Advisor were just fleeting fantasies. It was this crying girl in her arms that was the most real part of her life. She was the most tangible piece of hope that Nayni and all of Altea had.

* * *

She remembered little of the battle at Terrapin. When Nayni emerged from the healing pod she found Coran was already waiting for her. The side of her head and her right arm felt a little tender but that was the only remnants of the shuttle crash. Nayni winced. The bright lights of the Castle were blinding. Nayni stumbled out of the pod and Coran caught her in his sturdy arms. Her mind was quickly flooded with a thousand questions. They were reunited but she had no idea under what circumstances. This deck of the Castle had no windows to view the outside. She didn't know if they were floating around in space or on the surface of Terrapin.

Coran helped Nayni maintain her balance as her knees trembled a bit. She looked down at her uniform. The whole right side was coated with a deep purple stain. She'd lost a lot more blood than she'd remembered. Coran's grip on her arm was so reassuring. His gaze kept flickering to the blood stains on her uniform. There was something else lingering in his eyes. She could sense it. Instinct drove her to wrap her arms around him.

She savored the feeling of his warm, hard body against her. She took in that familiar scent of spiced tea that lingered on his flesh. She relished the feeling of his silky red hair beneath her fingertips. He'd come back to her, just as he'd promised. Everything else still remained a mystery to her. The way he was clinging to Nayni told her so much. Something terrible had transpired. Coran had the same look in his eye that he'd had when Zarkon had supposedly died thousands of years ago.

"Coran-" Nayni said.

She found it a tad difficult to talk. The effects of the healing pod still hadn't worn off yet. He led her to the center of the room. He handled her like she was some delicate, injured winged creature. Coran helped Nayni take a seat in one of the sleek black chairs. Her head still felt a tad heavy and her limbs felt as if they were made out of food goo. Coran took his place next to her. He wrapped an arm around her. Nayni knew there was bad news but in the comfort of his arms it would be easier to receive it.

It had to be drastic. He would've been scolding her for getting injured if everything was fine. There wasn't an ounce of humor in him. If he couldn't even find a way to make the situation lighter than things had truly taken a grim turn. She didn't want to wait around to hear it. Nayni sighed and reached for his hand.

"I know that look," Nayni said. "Just spit it out, Coran. You don't have to coat it with flowers and sweets either."

He held her hand. He ran his long thumb along the lines of her palm. She normally found his touch so soothing but the way he brushed against the surface of her skin didn't feel comforting. Coran was touching her as if he'd never had contact with another living being before. He seemed to be savoring it. Coran licked his lips and let out a long sigh.

"Where shall I start?" Coran asked.

He spoke with such gentleness but his voice was full of despair. Nayni shifted and the material of her seat squeaked. She gripped onto his hand tightly.

"Is there any good news at all?" Nayni pressed.

She smiled weakly.

"Aside from the fact that you're still here," Nayni added.

Coran pulled her closer. She nestled her head under his chin. His chest rose and fell as he took in a deep breath.

"Terrapin has been secured yet again," Coran said. "We're all taking a few quintents to regroup."

Nayni hadn't expected the war effort to completely fall apart because she'd gotten injured but what had happened after Tomyko had dragged her onto that rebel ship was a mystery to her.

"What happened?" Nayni asked.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. She knew he was safe. That fear was gone but she still felt this deep need to never let go of him again.

"When we returned, we helped Lotor and the rebels finish off the Galra fleet," Coran explained. "After that, I waited rather impatiently by this healing pod for you."

That little jab possessed barely a flicker of the sass that he normally had. The look on his face was still very troubling. He looked fearful and overcome with guilt. Nayni patted his knee and forced a smile.

"Well, time for the bad news then," Nayni said.

She squeezed his hand tightly. It was her little way of telling him that she was there for him. Coran's gaze fell to the polished black tile of the floor. His lips were parted ever so slightly and the edges of his mouth were downturned in a frown. His brow was furrowed. Coran seemed to be struggling to find the right words. This was probably the most alarming thing about this situation. Coran always knew what to say. He always knew just how to spin every piece of news there was to share.

"We lost the system," Coran said.

Nayni stiffened. It wasn't possible. That wasn't possible with Voltron. She tried not to display the panic that she was feeling. She sat up. She clutched his hand more tightly. His eyes flickered over to meet hers. It was very clear that Coran was still shaken.

"It seemed like everything was going fine," Coran explained. "We were pushing them back. Voltron was about to take down _their_ Castle when-"

Coran just shook his head. He still seemed to be grappling with what had occurred. Nayni didn't press him on it. She just waited until he'd sorted through his thoughts and feelings.

"They literally ripped that world in half, Nayni," Coran said. "It was like they did it out of spite just because we were winning the fight."

His hand was trembling. He'd watched another world blink out of existence just as their home had. He'd had to relive all that pain while she'd lain unconscious bleeding out on a rebel ship.

"The few ships that came with us is all that remains of the Apocritians," Coran said.

Another civilization was homeless. It had been swift and cruel. Coran had witnessed all of it. The Paladins had witnessed all of it. When they'd encountered the Queen and her Advisor before they'd just bickered like an annoyed teenager and her father. They were so much more than that. They were monsters. She knew Allura must be a mess. The Princess had a massive heart. She was probably determined to do everything she could to make this right.

Maybe Lance had been right. Maybe they should've poured all of their efforts into fending off the Queen. It'd been so easy to take Terrapin the first time. Maybe they could've come back here and liberated them again. There was no going back and changing the plan now. Coran was hunched over and rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked so haggard and drained.

"We should touch base with the Princess and the others," Coran said. "They need us."

That may be true but they all needed a moment to recover from this. He needed it. Coran always put others ahead of himself. She wasn't going to have that. Not right now. Not after everything he'd just been through. Nayni ran her hand along the side of his face. She wanted to see this man smile even if it was just for a tik. She wanted to bring him some kind of relief because she needed it so desperately too.

"Let's go for a walk," Nayni said. "We both could use some fresh air."

She expected Coran to protest but he didn't. He was either too dejected to fight her on this or he was just as desperate for a distraction. He was probably tearing himself apart. Allura was too. Nayni would be surprised if the Paladins weren't stuck in the same loop. The battle they'd just fought wasn't a trivial one. It was as if they'd dove in to fight Zarkon's capital ship. It was no small task. The fleet that Lotor and the rebels had faced was nothing compared to that.

Nayni led Coran by the hand to the elevator. She wasn't exactly concerned with the state of her clothes. Her blood stained uniform didn't seem to be affecting his mood. She was fine and that was all that mattered to him at the moment. There was already so much weighing on him. It was weighing on her now too. Allura's worst fears had come to be. The Princess would be hating herself even more though if they hadn't even attempted to stop it. It was the sum of all of their fears. But in the wake of such devastation, it was hard to push past all those emotions and decide what course of action to take next.

They emerged from the Castle and onto Terrapin's surface. Twilight had fallen. The desert landscape had been swallowed by the violet hues of night. The lights of the distant village were twinkling on the horizon. The familiar pink and white cliffs crept up towards the dark sky. They'd landed rather close to the coastline this time. It had been so long since they'd had solid ground beneath their feet. It was a simple comfort that Nayni could take away from all of this.

A gentle breeze rustled through Coran's orange hair. He was looking towards the village where their comrades were probably trying to drown their feelings in merriment. She doubted they were having much success with that. Nayni tugged on his arm. Coran followed her towards the white sands of the beach. Their fingers interlocked as they held each other's hand. The milky, pink waters of the ocean looked dark and glassy in the moonlight.

They just listened to the sound of the waves gently lapping at the shoreline and the gentle crunch of the sand beneath their boots. There wasn't a need to talk. Coran needed the silence. He needed to find some brief moment of peace beneath the canopy of twinkling stars. They walked until the Castle was just a dim silhouette against the inky sky behind them. Night had fully fallen over this hemisphere of Terrapin now. Coran seemed to have relaxed by the slightest of degrees.

His shoulders weren't as tense. Coran had tilted his head back to take in the scent of the ocean breeze. It wasn't a massive improvement but it was enough to make Nayni smile a bit.

"May I confess something to you, Coran?" Nayni asked.

She thought maybe this insipid little story would do him some good. Coran looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She thought she might have seen him grin but she couldn't be sure in the darkness.

"What else could you possibly have to share with me, Nayni?" Coran said.

He sounded intrigued. She felt heat rush to her ears and cheeks. She was already a tad flustered and embarrassed. They'd talked so much about stupid little things like this. She should be used to it by now. Given the grim situation they found themselves in, she hoped it would give him a chuckle at least. Nayni paused and looked out at the ocean. All they could see was the reflection of the stars on the churning waters of the sea.

"One of my favorite teledramas of all time was the period piece _; Barca Barquentine_ ," Nayni began.

Coran was indeed smiling now. It was a rather embarrassing confession but it was the truth. She'd watched that series probably a thousand times. It had been loosely based on a classic series of Altean novels about a sea fairing man and his various adventures. Nayni had been particularly fond of the parts where he wooed a Southern Altean woman. She may have had a poster of the dashing swashbuckler on her wall as an adolescent. Coran draped a lanky arm around her shoulder.

"I must admit that is rather amusing," Coran teased.

The fact that it brought him even the faintest sense of happiness made the overwhelming embarrassment worth it to her. Nayni rested her hand on his chest and traced her fingers along the seams of his uniform. Coran looked down at her with a subtle smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

"Didn't that actor have a spectacular purple mustache and goatee?" Coran pressed.

He in fact did. He'd been a rather tall, tan and lean muscled man. Coran shared quite a few physical traits with the actor. Nayni's ears flushed.

"Yes," Nayni said sheepishly.

Coran just smiled and twirled the end of his mustache. He seemed to find this quite satisfying. The good feelings just didn't seem to be sticking for either of them though. The events of that battle had been awful. It was also a painful reminder of everything they'd lost to Zarkon's wrath. They were still alive. They still had each other. Another world was in ashes just like Altea had fallen. All of the actors from that teledrama had been dead for thousands of years and so were their families and everyone they had ever known. Nayni sighed. She tried to steer her thoughts away from that dark path as hard as it was.

"There was one scene that always stuck with me," Nayni went on.

Coran seemed to know where she was going before she'd even said the words. She wasn't surprised. It was a well-known series on Altea. The first novel in that series had been a required piece of reading for most Altean literature courses.

"Barca was walking along a beach with Lady Celenia," Nayni said. "And he finally told her how much he loved her."

Coran smirked.

"And then he ravished her by the sea," Coran said.

Yes, that had been precisely what had happened. It was such a terrible and overly dramatic scene but Nayni had lived for it. Every time she watched it, she bawled like a babe. She thought it was the most romantic thing she'd ever seen. It had always stirred up so many different emotions for her. It'd made her heart swell with joy and filled her with such longing and sorrow at the same time. It had made her feel alive. It always did. Nayni chuckled to herself. It was half-hearted because it brought on another flood of memories.

"The grumpy, stiff Captain of the Guard loved that stupid romantic scene," Nayni said. "I would've soiled myself if any of my Guardsmen ever found that out. I didn't want anyone to know about that part of me."

But Coran had always known. He'd never really teased her about it. He'd just accepted it was a part of her without any judgment. He'd always seen the whole picture and had just been there for her. He'd been her best friend for years and the object of her affection forever. Coran had helped piece Nayni back together after _her_ Tomyko had died. Allura had too. Neither of them had realized what they were doing at the time.

Now everything had fallen apart. Coran's spirits were broken and so were hers. Nayni found herself tearing up. She didn't even try to hide it. She found herself trembling. The weight of it all was just crushing her now.

"We're still here, Nayni," Coran said.

He always seemed to know what she was thinking. She looked up at him. Even in the darkness she could still see the tears welling up in his eyes. She nodded. Coran reached for her. He tilted her head back to face him again. He crouched down so he could look her in the eye.

"We'll get through it, Nayni, we'll make this right and we'll heal," Coran said.

She should be the one flooding him with these reassurances. He was the one who had witnessed all these horrors. Coran had seen the downfall of Altea. He'd watched the Apocritian homeworld be torn apart. She held his face in her hands. She traced her thumbs along the curve of his cheekbones. He brushed his lips against hers. His mustache tickled the tip of her button nose.

Nayni pulled his face back to hers. She wallowed in the elation of his kiss. The soft texture of his lips and the taste of his tongue reminded her what they were fighting for. The feeling of his arms wrapped around her waist was almost electric. His touch felt so warm and soothing she thought she was going to melt. The distinguished features of his face were illuminated by a soft blue glow. Nayni's breath caught in her throat.

His hands were pressed against the curve of her waist. His hands were emitting that familiar glow when an Altean was connecting with the energy of another being. It was an ability that served many purposes but when it was shared between lovers it meant something completely different. All of the practical applications assigned no emotional attachment to it. These circumstances didn't call for this. She wasn't feeling physically weak. They weren't trying to exchange energy with some alien species. This was one of the most intimate acts that Alteans could share with one another.

It'd been so long since Nayni had experienced this. It had been ages since she'd done this to someone else. His hands moved up her waist. Coran pulled her close for another kiss. She could feel his quintessence flowing through her. She felt the flood of his emotions as he kissed her tenderly. Nayni could feel all of his fear and sorrow. She felt all of his hope coursing through her.

Nayni rested her hands on the firm surface of his chest. Her hands were trembling. It took her a moment to fully let go. She spread out her fingers, she felt her palms tingle as she watched that same bright blue hue radiate from her hands. Hers was slightly different than his. There was a faint green tint to the color of the quintessence. The flood of their mingling emotions was so overwhelming that she let out a gasp.

Coran laid her down gently in the sand. They were going to pull the sorrow from one another tonight. They were going to extract each other's fears like venom from a wound. She moved her hands over his body slowly. He freed her mass of brown hair from her bun as he kissed along her neck. Nayni slid her hands beneath his shirt and slipped his clothes away from his flawless lean body. The curves of his muscles were illuminated by the glow from their quintessence. Her hands felt as if they were on fire but there was no pain.

Everywhere his hands roved tingled and grew warm. He combed his fingers through her hair. She could feel him drawing all of the pain and fear from her. She ran her hands down the length of his back. Coran's lean muscles relaxed beneath her touch. It felt like electricity was running up her fingers and through her arm as she pulled the sorrow from him.

Nayni hadn't experienced something this intense for so long. She'd almost forgotten what it felt like. She could feel every sensation he was experiencing. She felt that same fire he possessed in her core. She knew he was experiencing everything that she was too.

The cold ocean waves lapped at the tips of his toes. She wanted it to go on throughout the night. She didn't want it to stop. The experience was spiritual. She tasted him on her lips. She could feel the heat rushing to his face. As his pulse quickened so did hers. Sweat ran down the curve of his jaw. His red hair was damp from the humid ocean air.

She ran her fingers through his fiery hair and pulled his face to hers. She poured all of the warmth and reassurance she possessed into him. They held onto each other until the last pulse of pleasure had faded away. The glow radiating from their hands faded. She felt their emotional connection slowly fading but it would never completely vanish after this night. An act like this was too permanent to completely sever that connection.

This was something that only spouses did. This was not something that was shared between casual lovers. She wrapped her arms around him tightly. Coran's chest was pressed against hers and she could feel his heart pounding. She hadn't felt this alive in so long. It was almost painful. She hadn't felt this whole and complete since her marriage to Tomyko. Nayni and Coran had been ready for this for years. She had felt that immense passion when they'd exchanged energy.

She felt renewed. She felt invigorated by his healing touch. She listened to the sound of his breathing as it grew more slowed and even. She rested her head on his bare chest. She ran her fingers along the thin trail of red hair that descended from his belly button. Nayni had already known she was willing to die for him but after tonight she was willing to do more. She was willing to sacrifice everything in this life and the next. She would do whatever it took to protect him no matter the what the consequences were.


	27. Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know

All Nayni could do was watch Coran sleep in their bed. The sound of his ceaseless snoring filled their quarters. She could barely make out the shape of his face in the din. Now and then one of his ears would twitch. Coran seemed to have descended into a deep slumber. She hoped he wasn't being plagued by nightmares. She hoped his dreams were peaceful and full of contentment. Nayni was having no such luck.

She'd lay her head down but she just ended up staring at the ceiling. Their encounter on the beach was still too fresh in her mind. She could still feel a few loose grains of sand clinging to her skin. She could still feel that faint electric tingle in her gut. There had been a monumental shift between the two of them now. And amidst all of this death and destruction, it had shaken her. Nayni felt this unrelenting compulsion to protect him. She felt such a deeply ingrained instinct to take any action she could to try and remedy the dire situation they found themselves in.

He must be experiencing it too. Coran was just so much more exhausted than she was. She'd been tossed into a healing pod halfway through her battle. He'd gone through a physical and emotional gauntlet. And instead of resting upon his return, he'd just hovered around her healing pod waiting for her to emerge. Nayni was grateful that he wasn't suffering from the same insomnia that she was. The plans that were running through her head were not something he'd let her pursue if he knew what they were.

She ran her stubby fingers through her wild, mass of brown hair. She'd been sitting in bed, grappling with this idea for over a varga. She kept trying to convince herself that it was stupid but that wasn't enough. She knew very well how foolish this idea was but the raging desire to take action was too strong to resist. Nayni planted a kiss on his cheek and crept out of bed.

She took great care to be as quiet as possible as she got dressed. Nayni's eyes kept flickering over to the bed. She'd watch his chest rise and fall as he slept. This might be the last time she sees him. If she wasn't careful enough about this, she wouldn't be coming back. The idea of inflicting that pain on him made her ill but she could not let things go on as they had been. He was suffering. They had _all_ been suffering.

She snuck out of their quarters. Nayni knew it was the rush of hormones and his quintessence coursing through her that had pushed her to this. She'd never been this reckless. Not in years. She felt guilt and fear growing within her. It was making her chest tighten as she made her way down the dimly lit hallway of the Castle. She couldn't see a way around this. She'd tried but she'd never had the mindset for great scheming. This was the only plan that had been suggested that made sense to her now.

Nayni rounded a corner and her heart sank. It appeared she was not the only one sneaking about the Castle tonight. Lance was making his way down the hall too. He was fully clad in his Paladin armor with his helmet clutched in his hand. The Blue Paladin appeared to be just as alarmed as Nayni was by the unexpected encounter. He was up to something. He should be in bed, snug and warm, like the other Paladins. Even if his sleep was restless, he wouldn't be walking around in his armor like this.

They stared at each other for a moment before Lance seemed to realize that she was up to something too. His nervous expression became more suspicious. He narrowed his eyes.

"What're you doing up, Nanny?" Lance asked.

She didn't want to disclose anything to him. She knew he had established a close relationship with Coran. She worried he'd try to put a stop to this.

"What are you doing, Mister McClain?" Nayni said. "Just taking a midnight stroll in your armor?"

She was pulling out an old tactic from her days as a Guardsmen. People had a tendency to be rather suspicious of others when they were up to their _own_ suspicious things. She knew probing him about it would be more effective than trying to lie to him. Lance shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He seemed rather annoyed. He knew he was had, she could see it in his eyes.

"Look, I'm just tired of sitting around okay?" Lance confessed. "I've gotta do something. After seeing all that shit-after seeing what it did to Allura—-I have to do something."

It seemed he had the same motives that she did. She toyed with the idea of telling him but she still didn't feel right about it.

"And what is it exactly you're intending to do?" Nayni pried.

She was grilling him like a mother who'd caught her child stealing sweets.

"I don't know," Lance sighed. "I was gonna take Red out and try and blow up some crap. Now that I'm talking about it out loud, it sounds really stupid."

Nayni was up to something stupid too. She'd like to think that she had more sense in her head than this boy but that really wasn't the case. Her hesitation to respond gave Lance the chance to jump on her. She saw that look of suspicion return to his face. Lance crept closer to her. Even though she was his senior, he was still quite a bit taller than her. She didn't like how it felt to have him looking down at her.

"But you never told me what _you_ were doing, Nanny," Lance pressed.

Nayni scowled. He did seem rather passionate and determined to take some action. Maybe that drive would outweigh everything else to him. It would be dangerous to tell him but she was already taking an incredibly idiotic risk.

"I'm going to speak with Lotor," Nayni said.

Lance's eyes widened. Maybe she'd said enough already.

"The plan he's had is still stupid," Nayni admitted. "But it's significantly less stupid than yours."

Lance seemed a tad offended but she didn't care. Nayni let out a sigh.

"I can't sit idle anymore either," Nayni said. "There's too much at stake, and we've already lost so much."

Nayni's gaze flickered to the ground. She stared at the scuffed tips of Lance's boots. In the past, it had been duty that had motivated her. It was the obligation she had to serve the Altean Crown that had pushed her to do everything. Her desire to help others and protect the innocent had kept her going. What was propelling her forward tonight was something so much more selfish.

"I can't stand to see Coran like this," Nayni said. "Even if it gets me killed, I have to protect him."

Lance took a step back. He looked like he wasn't sure what to say. But he nodded slowly. He scratched the back of his head. He was mulling it over. He seemed rather torn. She was too. She was just trying to smother that conflict within her. Lance let out a slow, exasperated groan.

"Let's go talk to him," Lance said.

So she had an accomplice now. She knew Allura was a prime motivation for him. But she didn't think this was some stupid stunt he was pulling to try and impress the Princess. Nayni would've believed he was dumb enough to do that when they first met but not anymore. He was definitely a confused and conflicted young man but he was smart. He was dedicated and caring. Nayni knew in her gut that those traits would grow stronger the more he matured.

She followed the tall, lanky Paladin down the hallway. Lotor wasn't being kept in the brig anymore though Hunk and Lance didn't seem very comfortable with that fact. The quarters they'd provided for him were always locked down though and required a clearance code to open. It might as well have been a cell. When they came upon the door to Lotor's quarters the pair hesitated.

She knew Lance still had trust issues. She knew this was going to be quite the struggle for him but he seemed so determined to make a difference that he was willing to conspire with a man that was once his enemy. Lance just gave Nayni a rather dejected nod as a confirmation. She typed her security code into the control panel. The doors slid open. Lotor's room was lit up. The Galra Prince hadn't seized the moment to rest.

Lotor was lounging rather casually on the bed. He didn't seem surprised to see Nayni and Lance in the doorway. His golden eyes flickered over to them and that slimy grin spread across his face. It was as if he already knew why they were here.

"Well well well," Lotor said. "I'm not used to receiving callers at such a late hour."

Nayni didn't like the way he teased them. The only person that was allowed to sass her like this was Allura. Nayni and Lance exchanged a look. This was the only option that seemed plausible to her. As much as she disliked the Galra Prince, she saw the value in his plan now. Lance seemed too stubborn to make the first move. It would be up to her.

"We're here to talk about that plan of yours," Nayni sighed. "Feel free to congratulate yourself."

Lotor sat up in bed. His smile only grew wider. He brushed a strand of silver hair away from his slender lavender face.

"It's so nice to see some of you have finally come to your senses," Lotor said.

Of course, he wasn't going to mention the loss of an entire alien world. He hadn't cared about that in the start, so why would he now? Lotor tapped his fingertips together in anticipation. He looked as if he was awaiting the arrival of an exotic dancer.

"Forcing my father to face off with the Queen was always the best course of action," Lotor said. "It's unfortunate you didn't see this earlier."

Nayni wrinkled her nose. She knew he was going to rub this in her face but she still didn't enjoy having to sit through it.

"But, since it's just the two of you-" Lotor said. "I'm assuming you're the only ones on board with this plan."

The Galra Prince was just as good at reading people as Nayni was. That was the main reason she disliked him. Because he was so gifted at that, he was also rather talented at hiding his own motivations. She never seemed to know what was going on in his head. It was maddening. Nayni just gritted her teeth.

"That is the case," Nayni said. "But here I am. You have your bait to do with as you please now."

Lotor nodded but he didn't seem impressed at all.

"I don't know if you're enough of a lure for the Queen at this point," Lotor sighed.

He flicked his cascading silver hair over his shoulder.

"Though, a Lion of Voltron-now that would be quite the prize for Zarkon _and_ the Queen," Lotor said.

Lance's brow furrowed. Nayni couldn't deny the truth though. The Red Lion might be enough on its own to bait both of their enemies together. Lotor didn't seem finished with his sales pitch yet. His eyes widened and his grin became more sinister.

"But if we want some extra insurance," Lotor said. "Tomyko and I both have rather high bounties on our heads. Father would love to get his hands on me and the Queen would do anything to get ahold of her escaped prisoner."

The idea of having to be with Tomyko in a confined space again wasn't appealing but Nayni knew it would be a good idea to bring her along. Lotor seemed to have quite a bit of sway with her even if she wasn't exactly pleased with everything he'd done. The connection she had to the Lotor from _her_ reality still seemed to have a great deal of influence with Tomyko. Lotor looked at Nayni. His grin was wicked and hungry.

"And we all know what the Advisor wants," Lotor said.

So he wanted the four of them to cram themselves into the Red Lion and try and bring together two massive armies. And somehow, they were supposed to escape before anything nefarious might take place. It was stupid, incredibly risky and would most definitely lead to some horrible and painful death.

"I can convince Tomyko to come along," Lotor said. "I know just what buttons to push with that one."

He probably knew how to manipulate every single one of them. Nayni looked up at Lance. He was her one true ally in this endeavor. He had been an unexpected addition to her plan but now that he was here she felt more at ease. She could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't completely sold on the idea. Lance gazed down at his helmet. He rubbed his thumb across the curve of his visor and let out a sigh.

"Red's quick," Lance said. "I can get us in and out. Nice and easy. No problem."

Lance was very confident about that. His chest seemed to have puffed out a little when he said that. Nayni had seen him in action. She believed in his abilities. Lotor seemed pleased enough by their reactions. He tucked his hands behind his back and his pointed ears perked up.

"Then let's retrieve Tomyko and be on our way," Lotor said. "We'll have to be quick about this, we don't want our friends chasing after us."

* * *

Word had just been sent to Coran that the Ark was finished. The morbid project that he and Alfor had engineered had come together. All that was missing was the occupants. Coran knew that's what this meeting was about. He and the King had only discussed this briefly. When the idea for the Ark had first come up, Coran had hoped that they'd never actually get to this point. He'd hoped that the war with the Galra would be resolved before the construction of the massive vessel had even finished. Things had unfolded in a completely different way though.

The fact that Alfor had even called for this meeting made Coran feel uneasy. Things had not been going well. The Altean colony worlds were being enslaved and destroyed. Millions of Altean refugees were rushing to get back to their homeworld. The remaining Paladins of Voltron were struggling to protect their allied systems as well. It was awful and hard to admit but it was necessary. They were going to plan for the potential buildings blocks that the Alteans might need to rise from the ashes. There was still a chance though. Coran felt it in his very bones. There was always hope.

Alfor had requested for this meeting to be private as well. They were meeting in his Alchemy laboratory. No one else on the Castle ever came to this deck. Alfor had the freedom to close it off as he pleased. Coran didn't like the idea that this conversation was only going to happen between the two of them. He'd expected maybe some of their military advisors to be invited at the very least. It wasn't a good sign.

Alfor only ever spoke with Coran in private when they were going to discuss personal matters. They had a very close relationship. Coran had been there during the death of his wife. They'd discussed every conceivable topic in the universe. Lately, their private chats had revolved around some rather grim topics. But even at his most vulnerable, the King still remained so stoic. He still was a pillar of strength that made Coran feel optimistic.

When Coran arrived at the lab, he found Alfor hovering over his desk in the middle of the circular chamber. He was surrounded by shelves crammed full of plant specimens. Normally, the King would be examining some of them or running some kind of experiment but he was just sitting behind his desk with a strange look in his eye. The war had aged him so quickly. He was still a handsome man but he perpetually looked exhausted. The gleam of his silver hair had dulled and the worry lines on his forehead and at the edges of his mouth were deeply set.

He greeted Coran with a weak smile and a nod. That was yet another indication that this meeting was going to be unpleasant. Coran took his seat opposite of Alfor. The Royal Advisor kept his posture rigid. He knew it was difficult to hide his feelings from the King but he still wanted to attempt to put on a facade of strength. Coran was bracing himself for this awkward endeavor. Alfor seemed even less enthusiastic about it. The King seemed to be feeling guilty about it. No leader wanted to debate the value of his people. Especially Alfor.

"I think the lottery system for selecting which civilians will go to the Ark is the best way to go about it," Alfor began. "I don't want to separate families. Whoever gets selected has the right to bring their loved ones with them."

He was getting right to the point. Coran nodded. They'd discussed this briefly already. But confirming the plan and setting it in stone felt so strange. Coran hadn't expected this moment to come. He had never imagined that they'd actually seriously be considering this option. They'd already poured so many resources into this project and for good reason. Alfor was hesitating to continue. He let out a sigh and rubbed his temples. Alfor slid his white datapad across the sleek surface of his desk.

Coran stared at the device. His heart started to beat a bit faster. He didn't like the way Alfor was presenting this to him. He knew what was coming next. He knew it was going to be rather difficult.

"I've also picked out some potential candidates from the government and my inner circle," Alfor said.

Coran picked up the datapad. He glanced over the names. He recognized all of them. It had been his job to recognize those names. He'd spent his whole life learning who these people were and their skill sets. He stroked his orange mustache as he looked it over. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Nayni's name. Coran glanced up at Alfor. The King was having a harder time with this than Coran was.

"I tried to pick people that would be able to lead-" Alfor began. "-in my absence."

Coran didn't like this sort of talk. He didn't like thinking about that possibility at all. But he recognized the importance of a contingency plan.

"Obviously, we still need to have some people at our disposal with- _strategic_ value," Alfor said.

The King seemed to struggle immensely getting that statement out. He always viewed everyone equally. He saw the best traits in every person. It didn't matter if they were a diplomat, a soldier or a shoemaker. He valued every life. So to examine people by any other measure must've been incredibly difficult for him. Alfor stroked his silver goatee and stared off into space.

"You can take your time but, I'd like you to look that over and give me any suggestions," Alfor said.

Coran nodded weakly. The only name he seemed to be able to stare at was Nayni's. It was practically jumping off of the screen. Coran was so fixated on that cluster of letters. He felt so conflicted. If they sent her away, she'd be safer. He didn't know how much safer but it'd be better than running around like she had been. Allura would be devastated. Coran would be too. Alfor clenched his jaw and rapped his fingers on the top of the desk.

"There's a few of those though that I won't budge on," Alfor said.

The King hesitated. When he looked at Coran, the Royal Advisor felt as if the King was peering into his very soul.

"Captain Nordontu is one of them," Alfor said.

Coran's heart sank. He took a deep breath to collect himself.

"Why?" Coran asked.

He had no issue questioning the King. That was part of his job but this time his query was for personal reasons. He felt guilty for it but he needed to know.

"I want Allura back by my side. I want to teach her some things—just in case," Alfor said. "However, that really isn't where the issue arises."

It was an uncomfortable question. Coran was struggling to put his personal feelings aside and examine the situation on a more professional level. Alfor was hesitating. He must've spent vargas thinking of how to address this. Maybe he knew how Coran felt about the Guard Captain, maybe he didn't. Regardless, Nayni was like family to both of them. It was a tender subject no matter what.

"She's valuable," Alfor said. "But for right now, your presence for Allura and I is more-"

The King didn't want to finish his sentence. He didn't have to. Coran had an archive's worth of knowledge in his head. He was one of the only other Alteans that had intimate knowledge about Alfor's plans for the war. He would be able to provide information and advice that Nayni couldn't. Nayni was smart, she was strong and loyal but her specialties wouldn't be of much help on the Castle. She was a respected figure of the Royal Court but she wouldn't be able to help out with tactics or difficult diplomatic decisions. And Allura wouldn't need a body guard on the Castle. Coran nodded but Alfor didn't seem satisfied with his forced response.

"That woman might as well be a blood relative," Alfor said. "This wasn't an easy decision but it's vital she goes. She's got some strong leadership qualities and she's dedicated. I know she'd take no issue following General Fragnar if-things don't go well. The survivors on the Ark will need her."

Alfor had been thinking that far ahead for some time but Coran didn't like facing it now. The most important part of this plan involved the hibernation chambers on the Castle. Coran knew who they were reserved for. He was going to be here. He had to be here for Allura and Alfor. No matter what happened, he had to be by their side until the very end. He didn't want it to come to that. No matter how bad things seemed to be, he wasn't willing to accept that as a possible outcome.

"Coran," Alfor said.

The red-head looked up from the datapad. He must've looked like a sad little whelpling who'd just soiled the carpet.

"I know this will be hard but, keep this just between us," Alfor said.

He understood why. Some Alteans knew about the Ark. They knew what its purpose was but as soon as the potential names got out, there might be bickering. Not everyone was as levelheaded and blindly dedicated as Coran was. But keeping this from Nayni felt wrong. He had to though. She'd protest it. She'd fight against this so adamantly. She wouldn't want anything to tear her away from Allura. He knew that would be the heart of it. Nayni wouldn't take it as an insult. She'd be able to grasp why Coran was needed, why it was vital for him to be by Allura and Alfor's side. She'd accept why she had to be the one to go. It would break her heart to part with Allura though.

How was he supposed to even talk to her now? Every letter he wrote, every bit of news he shared with her would be tainted with this knowledge that he'd be holding back from her. Their friendship had been built on honesty, openness and a mutual dedication to the Crown. That relationship had only gotten more muddled and intimate over the course of the war. Coran had kept matters of the Court from Nayni in the past but those all seemed so trivial. They were nothing compared to this. Alfor tried to provide Coran some comfort by taking the Royal Advisor's hand in his.

"The orders won't go out until you've made your suggestions and I've given the final approval," Alfor said. "So there's still time to address any-unresolved business."

He wanted to tell her. He wanted to warn Nayni but he knew she'd be just as furious if he went against protocol. No matter what he did, she'd be hurt. Coran didn't know if she'd blame him or hold it against him. She wasn't the type to be bitter. She wouldn't take it as a betrayal but the idea of the pain this was going to cause her would destroy him.

But telling her about the feelings he'd been harboring for so many years was just as impossible. Coran couldn't dump all of that on her right before she stepped into that chamber. It wasn't fair. It wouldn't be right. As much as he wanted to lay his heart bare and tell her all of this, he knew he couldn't. Now it seemed they would both go the rest of their lives without this confrontation that he had been longing for so desperately.

* * *

The four of them had actually fit into the Red Lion. They were flying through the vacuum of space. Stars streaked by them as the Lion barreled towards its destination. Nayni felt an immense gut-wrenching guilt. She'd kept this from Coran. She was sneaking away and he had no idea. They were heading right for the lair of the beast and he had no idea. It had to be this way though. If the others had found out, they would've come after them and then everyone would be in danger.

Part of why she thought this scheme would work was because of how few of them there were. It would seem like an easy task to overtake them. Once the Queen and Zarkon started firing upon one another, they'd be able to make a quick getaway. If the rest of the Lions were there along with the Castle, this wouldn't work. There was still such potential for this to go wrong. They could die. That was always a possibility. If that was what was to transpire than at least Nayni would die knowing that she'd made some kind of difference.

As long as the Queen's militia was weakened or Zarkon's forces were diminished, she'd be helping them. Nayni hovered around Lance. He was the one she trusted the most. He pushed forward on the throttle and the Red Lion soared through space. Nayni had managed to make it through the small jump without coating the floor of the cockpit in vomit.

Tomyko had agreed to come rather easily. Lotor had threatened both of the Altean women that if they started arguing he'd render them unconscious. Thankfully, Tomyko had kept her mouth firmly shut the entire time. Lotor was the only one that didn't seem to be on edge. He did still seem to be immensely pleased that his plan was finally being executed.

The Red Lion was creeping closer and closer to Zarkon's main fleet. They could see the massive, violet twisted capital ship in the far distance. Lance piloted the Lion behind a cluster of asteroids. They weren't going to make their move until they were certain the Queen was here. As soon as the Red Lion was within range of the flagship's scanners they would have quite a force to contend with. The Galra would be desperate to get their hands on the Red Lion.

Lotor leaned forward and tapped Nayni on the shoulder. He had a rather devilish look in his eye.

"Time to make your little call," Lotor teased.

Nayni recoiled.

"You think I can just summon up the Queen like a magician?" Nayni said.

Lotor didn't even flinch. He reached for her with one of his slender fingers and tilted her chin up. The gesture made Nayni feel as if bugs were crawling all over her.

"Do what you Alteans do best," Lotor said. "Reach out to him."

Nayni didn't think she was capable of that. She also was terrified by the idea. Tomyko was leaning against the side of the cockpit. She looked more annoyed than anything else.

"Look, if the Advisor finds you, he'll see that I'm here and they'll come swooping in," Tomyko said. "Just think about him or-or- or something."

That advice wasn't exactly helpful. Tomyko didn't seem to really be an expert on how to go about this either. Nayni looked at Lance for some kind of reassurance or direction but he just shrugged. Nayni bit down on her bottom lip. She knew the Queen and the Advisor were powerful. Maybe they'd be able to find them without too much effort. Tomyko shook her fists with frustration.

"Just do something!" Tomyko snapped. "Or am I going to have to be the one to try!?"

Nayni's ears twitched with annoyance. This woman was the most inpatient and insufferable person she had ever met.

"Come on! With the amount of time you've spent in that man's bed, he's probably permanently flowing through your bloodstream!" Tomyko growled.

Lance went pale and Nayni thought the boy was going to retch.

"That's revolting!" Nayni seethed. "And what on Altea does that have to do with anything!?"

Lance was just gripping onto the controls of the Red Lion and desperately trying to block out the argument raging behind him. Lotor couldn't stop chuckling. He found this all very amusing.

"The three of you should just ravish each other," Lotor teased. "It would alleviate quite a bit of tension I think."

Lance looked like he was about to cry.

"Please, for the love of God, stop talking about this," Lance begged.

Tomyko didn't care. She folded her arms across her chest. She looked completely disgusted.

"I would never lie with a man," Tomyko said. "And _especially_ not that one."

Nayni clenched her fist. This was just a waste of time. She let out a low growl.

"Just shut up!" Nayni snapped. "Stop talking and let me concentrate."

Tomyko muttered some insult under her breath but Nayni let it go. Lotor managed to muffle his chuckling though he still seemed very pleased with the conflict he'd stirred up. Nayni took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She wasn't very talented at using her quintessence for things like this. She also was worried that after establishing an even deeper connection with _her_ Coran that this would prove to be a most difficult task. Nayni let out a sigh and closed her eyes.

She tried to focus all of her energy on the Advisor. She tried to picture him in her mind. The only image she'd ever seen of him had been staticy and blurry. As hard as Nayni tried she just couldn't hang onto the image of him in her head. She tried to focus on how his voice had sounded. She tried holding onto to that soul-crushing fear that he'd filled her with. It seemed like a quarter of a varga had gone by and nothing was happening. The longer she tried to reach out to the Advisor, the more pointless it seemed. Her thoughts kept drifting off and she'd catch herself and try to refocus.

When Nayni felt someone grab her by the back of the neck she thought it was Lance at first. That touch was too icy cold to be anyone within the Red Lion. Nayni felt terror slice right into her. Her eyes flew open and she looked over the faces of her comrades. Her bottom lip was trembling and she felt like someone was strangling her. Nayni started to gag and choke. Tomyko looked on in shock. Lotor just grinned, there was a deep satisfaction reflected in his golden eyes.

"Make your move, Paladin," Lotor hissed.

Lance pushed forward on the throttle. The Red Lion lurched as it soared towards Zarkon's capital ship. Nayni felt as if the air within her lungs had been torn out. She fell to her knees. Nayni clutched at her chest as she went into a fit of coughing. Tomyko and Lotor braced themselves against the sides of the cockpit. The Red Lion dove towards the flagship and was immediately met with a swarm of Galra drones. Lance made the Lion swoop around and it dodged the barrage of laser fire that was raining down around them.

Nayni braced herself on the back of Lance's seat and pulled herself back to her feet. She looked out the window of the cockpit. The flashing of the violet lasers was making her feel lightheaded. The swerving and diving that Lion was doing wasn't really helping her feel better either. Lance's teeth were gritted. He was pouring all of his focus into piloting Red and keeping them safe.

Just when Nayni started to fear that the Queen's militia wouldn't arrive, she saw that twisted undulating red rift explode in the middle of the battlefield. Nayni felt bile creeping up her throat. That fear returned tenfold. She was so petrified that she couldn't move. It felt like a thousand frozen needles had been stuck in her. The Other Castle emerged from the rift. As it flew by them, Nayni felt like a ghost had just passed through her.

The Galra began firing upon the new arrival. The Other Castle's scarlet barrier erupted around the vessel. Lance started to celebrate prematurely.

"Aw yeah!" Lance cheered. "Now let's haul ass!"

The Red Lion made a sharp turn and Nayni had to swallow her vomit. They could hear the sounds of the battle behind them. The exchange of laser fire and the explosions still were too close for comfort. The Red Lion was soaring towards the cluster of asteroids where they'd hidden before. The silver claws of the Lion were just about to scrape the surface of the massive rock when it came to a stop. The Lion lurched as it was being pulled backward.

Lance started frantically tugging on his controls. His eyes were wide with panic. Nothing he did was getting the Lion to respond.

"Oh man, what's happening!? What's happening?" Lance exclaimed.

Lotor's expression fell. He didn't seem to be afraid. He just seemed to have quietly accepted that they'd failed. Tomyko started to shake. Her eyes were wide with panic.

"It's the tractor beam," Tomyko stammered. "N-no I can't go back there..."

She just stared at the floor and started shaking her head. Nayni could feel the tug of the tractor beam in her gut. Lance kept pulling back on the throttle in a desperate attempt to free the Lion from the beam. The Lion shook. The battlefield around them was lit up with red and violet lasers. Explosions and parts of wrecked fighters were scattered across the scene. They were brighter than the twinkling stars that surrounded them. Nayni's heart was racing. She felt the dread fully starting to consume her.

The closer they were drawn to the Other Castle, the more her terror grew. She'd known this was foolish. She'd known this was risky but she'd grossly underestimated how massive of a mistake this had been. She trembled. It felt as if the Advisor was in the Red Lion with the four of them. It felt like his cold hands were wrapped around her thick neck. Lance kept shouting as he sent out a desperate distress signal but it sounded just like white noise to Nayni. The only sensation that broke through her overwhelming horror was a deep sorrowful regret.


	28. Pieces of Me

Coran ran his fingers through the red curls that fell to the side of his face. He always liked to look as presentable as possible before he interviewed people like this. This particular meeting was going to be a very significant one. There had been several candidates that had been examined to be the new Captain of the Royal Guard but this one held a great deal of potential. He adjusted his ponytail one final time.

Coran had no issue admitting to himself that his hair looked particularly gorgeous today. It was shiny and smooth like a silken blanket. His skin was practically glowing. Appearance was a vital part of first impressions. Appearance was a vital part of quite a few things in actuality. He fiddled with the ends of his mustache to make sure they curled up in just the right way.

When he was finally satisfied with how he looked, Coran scooped up his datapad and headed out the door. He brought up this latest candidate's information on his datapad. He was looking forward to finally meeting her. They'd only briefly spoken over telecoms. She was a tad awkward but he got the feeling that would go away with time. Coran knew by this point Alfor had gotten rather tired of these interviews. The King was being rather picky though, he didn't want just anyone guarding little Allura.

Coran headed for the grand entryway to the Palace. It was the room where every guest was first received. It wasn't exactly in the best shape at the moment. The servants were still cleaning it up after the grand reception they'd had the previous day. The Alteans had been receiving quite a few visitors since the Queen had passed away. Their sympathy was deeply appreciated, though the visits seemed to be draining the King quite a bit. The stress of the entire situation had driven the last Guard Captain to retire. It was understandable but the timing of it was rather unfortunate.

The latest candidate was already waiting in the reception hall when Coran arrived. She was significantly shorter than Coran had imagined. She was a stout woman with olive skin and thick brown hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. She seemed rather stiff and she wasn't looking over the hall like their other guests had. She wasn't marveling at its beauty. She seemed to be examining every nook and cranny of it in a more practical way. It looked like she was trying to see what might be hiding in the shadows.

Coran tugged on the blue sleeves of his silken uniform to ensure that they were wrinkle free and caught the light in just the right way. Coran tucked his datapad under his arm and put on his best and brightest smile.

"Madame Nayni Nordontu, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," Coran said.

He bowed with a great deal of flourish. Nayni really didn't seem to know how to react. Coran was used to this. Not everyone was as knowledgeable about social graces as he was. Nayni tried to smile but it looked more like a cringe. Her salute was even more awkward. It was surprisingly adorable.

"Um—yes-it's nice to umm-" Nayni stammered.

She tried to sneakily glance at something she'd written on her arm but she was doing a rotten job of it.

"Nice to meet you _Royal Advisor Coran Hieronymous Wimbleton Smythe_ ," Nayni said.

She seemed to get a tad tongue-tied. That was also something Coran was quite used to. Nayni shook her head. She still seemed rather embarrassed.

"It's fine," Coran assured. "I know it's a mouthful."

He gestured for Nayni to follow him. She had to take three steps to keep up with just one of his but she did it with ease. She may have been short but she carried herself as if nothing intimidated her. She cleared her throat and Coran peered over his shoulder at her.

"How would you prefer for me to address you?" Nayni asked.

Coran smiled.

"Mister Smythe will do," Coran said.

Nayni nodded. She already seemed to be easing up a bit. But it was only natural for her to feel nervous. Everyone they'd spoken with thus far had been nervous. An opportunity like this didn't come up very often. She was about to meet Alfor too. That was a big deal for any Altean.

Coran escorted her through the grand hall and out into the courtyard. He'd gotten rather tired of conducting these meetings in his office. He found it only made the candidates more nervous. It was for the best if he made them feel a bit more at ease before they spoke with Alfor. The white marbled pathways of the courtyard were glistening in the light of the morning sun. The emerald grass and shrubs were neatly trimmed. The royal banners hanging from the Palace walls were wafting in the gentle breeze.

He was certain that Nayni had just given him the up-down with her eyes and it made him smirk. It was always pleasant to be admired by someone but he wasn't sure that's what had actually happened. By the stern look on her face, it was more possible that she was just sizing him up. He was willing to take the unspoken compliment anyway. He'd broken up with his longtime partner shortly before Allura's mother had passed. With all the work that had to be done since then, he hadn't really had the opportunity to go out and strut his stuff again.

Nayni followed Coran through the courtyard into the main structure of the Palace. Everything about the way she moved was so stiff and calculated. She was the epitome of a well trained Guardsmen. Nayni sniffed and wrinkled up her nose as if she'd just smelt the revolting thing in the universe.

"I'm sorry is there a problem?" Coran asked.

Nayni's cheeks and ears flushed and she shook her head vigorously.

"No n-nothing," Nayni stammered.

Coran flipped his glossy red hair. Yes, he was being flirtatious but he so enjoyed showing off to people. His performance didn't seem to have any effect on Nayni. Coran pulled out his datapad and started scrolling through her resume. They continued their trek through the winding halls of the Palace towards the meeting hall where Alfor would be waiting for them.

"I just have a few questions," Coran explained. "Then you'll be meeting with the big boss man."

He flashed her a toothy grin. Nayni just seemed confused.

"I'm sorry, do you mean the King?" Nayni asked.

Coran sighed. That always got a laugh out of people. Getting Nayni to loosen up was going to be more difficult than he had foreseen.

"Yes, I'm talking about Alfor," Coran said.

As long as he kept a smile on his face and his tone chipper she was sure to relax a bit.

"So, you were in the Army?" Coran asked. "Tell me more about that."

Her expression fell a little bit. Coran almost didn't catch it but there had been a flicker of sadness in her eyes. He knew why. All of the potential candidates for the Guard Captain position had to be extensively looked into. He knew that her wife had passed away a few years ago. He knew they'd met in the Army. He knew her wife had died in the Army too. Nayni seemed to keep it together rather easily. She just nodded and kept walking by his side.

"I just served the basic contract," Nayni said. "I put in my five years and then enlisted in the Royal Guard. I wasn't a fan of all that traveling but it was an experience that will stay with me forever."

Coran nodded and stroked the end of his mustache.

"What drew you to the Royal Guard?" Coran asked.

Nayni fiddled with her thumbs as she spoke.

"I wanted to put down some roots," Nayni said. "I felt like it was a line of work that I'd be very satisfied with. I know that may sound a tad silly to be interested in standing about and staring at people but I do enjoy it quite a bit. You learn quite a bit about people's behaviors by watching them when they think no one is looking."

Nayni seemed to immediately regret what she'd just said. Her eyes widened a bit with panic.

"I sound like some kind of creep, I apologize," Nayni stammered.

Coran found this very amusing but he didn't think laughing was going to make her feel any better about it. He held himself back. He leaned closer to her and this only seemed to induce more panic in her.

"I find your honesty rather refreshing actually," Coran assured.

Nayni chuckled rather nervously but that seemed to have chipped away her wall a little bit. Her answers to his questions were rather brief. She wasn't the very verbose type. That was a stereotype among the Guardsmen but she was the first one he'd met that actually lived up to it. She was rather reserved and stiff. But it already was apparent to him that there was quite a bit of depth to her.

He'd already spoken with her former colleagues from the Army and her fellow Guardsmen during the investigation process. They all had said the same thing. Nayni was loyal to the core and was not someone to be trifled with. Some of her companions had used slightly more colorful language in their descriptions but the same idea was still consistent across the board.

As he spoke with her, Coran kept that in mind. She may have been a tad socially awkward but she'd taken down space pirates and tackled trespassers on Palace grounds. She was a ferocious woman that was willing to go to extra lengths for the call of duty. Because her answers were so brief, Coran had gotten through his questions rather quickly. He was just idly scrolling through the information on his datapad now. He knew Alfor had wanted to pry into matters of his own interest.

Coran only had a vague idea of what Alfor was going to ask her. The questions he'd asked the previous candidates had been of a nature that Coran wasn't used to. But he understood why they were being asked. The Captain of the Royal Guard was going to be working very closely with Allura. Yes, they led all of the Guardsmen and were in charge of the Palace security in totality but their primary job would be to protect Allura. And the little Princess was in a particularly delicate state as of late. She was going to require someone with a special touch.

Coran had tried to delay the inevitable for as long as he could. He couldn't make the walk towards the conference hall last any longer though. They were approaching their destination and Nayni didn't seem to be any less tense than when he'd first encountered her. It was best to just throw her straight into the fire now. He toyed with the orange curl that had fallen in front of his face. He hovered by the door to the audience room and typed into the control panel.

"Well, you'll be meeting the King shortly. Are you ready?" Coran said.

Nayni just nodded. As awkward as she had been with him, he'd expected her to be more nervous. The only indication she gave that she was tense was how tightly she was clenching her jaw. He thought she was going to grind off her own teeth.

"It's now or never," Nayni said.

The doors to the chamber slid open. He extended his hand as an invitation to escort her into the room. Nayni just brushed by him. Never in his life had anyone refused Coran's hand. Maybe she didn't realize that it was a tad rude. After chatting with her, it seemed more likely that she just found it to be an unnecessary inconvenience. Nayni straightened out her uniform and held her head high.

The audience room wasn't nearly as lavish as the entry hall or the throne room. It was a more intimate chamber that Alfor preferred over the others. He was leaning against the tall, plush, blue velvet chair that he normally sat in. The King looked especially regal today. His white and gold armor was polished to perfection. His silver hair was pulled back in a ponytail and his goatee was neatly trimmed. His rich brown skin was without flaw. Despite the emotional weight of his wife's death, he appeared to be rather content.

Coran knew this was mostly an illusion. Alfor had gone through an astronomical transformation since the loss of his wife. He still appeared to be the same man on the surface but it was during the quiet private moments that Coran saw his true colors. The warm and inviting light of the room seemed to make Nayni relax a bit. They walked across the intricately woven blue rug on the floor. They bowed, Coran's was fluid and performed with the grace of a dancer. Nayni's bow was rather stiff. It was clear she wasn't used to it.

Coran thought he saw her hands trembling slightly but she stuck them behind her back before he could get a better look.

"Your Majesty, may I present to you Lieutenant Nayni Nordontu of the Royal Guard," Coran said.

Nayni forced the most awkward smile that Coran had ever seen in his entire life. She certainly would have to get more used to the social courtesies of the aristocracy if she was going to take on this position. Alfor's smile was much warmer and inviting. He seemed to instantly put the woman at ease. Alfor had that magical power. He had the ability to make anyone from any background or alien world feel as if they had finally come home.

"It is an honor to meet you, Lieutenant," Alfor said.

He extended a hand to Nayni. She hesitated before she shook his hand but the process brought a genuine smile to her face.

"I'm the one who is honored, my King," Nayni said.

It wasn't the standard greeting but Coran took no issue with it. Alfor's piercing blue eyes flickered over to Coran. It was time for the Royal Advisor to take his leave. Coran gave one last bow and flashed Nayni an encouraging grin before he departed. He only had a vague idea of what they'd be discussing, but he possessed enough knowledge to know that it was for the best that they talk privately.

He waited in the hall and fiddled with his datapad. They'd gone through quite a few candidates at this point. Nayni was definitely a more unusual one. If she got this position she'd be jumping up quite a few ranks. There was potential for that to cause issues but if she truly was qualified for the job it wouldn't be too much of a problem for long. Coran scrolled through her records on his datapad again as he leaned against the wall.

There was quite a bit on the agenda today for Coran. He'd like to believe that things would be slowing down soon but Coran knew better. There was always work to be done. There was always something going on that Coran was needed for. He either had some grand diplomatic event to plan, some meeting to arrange or some major crisis that he needed to iron out. It was why his partner had left and it was why he hadn't really had much time for himself since then. There was always work to be done. He loved it though. He loved every dobash of it.

Coran waited quite a while before Alfor emerged from the audience chamber. He hadn't spoken with one of the candidates for this long. It was most definitely a good sign for Madame Nordontu. Coran stood at attention as soon as Alfor came through the doors. The King had a look on his face that Coran hadn't seen for quite some time. He seemed to genuinely be feeling hopeful. He was definitely very pleased. Coran could tell by the twinkle in Alfor's eye.

"Cancel your plans for the rest of the day, Coran," Alfor said.

Coran was taken aback.

"But sir-" Coran began.

Alfor held up his hand and smirked.

"She's the one," Alfor said. "Make the necessary arrangements. I want her promoted and ready to take her post in the next few quintents."

By the length of their talk, Coran had expected Alfor's opinion to be positive but this was a tad surprising. Coran started typing into his datapad. He was going to have to make quite a few adjustments to his schedule in order to fit all of this in.

"Show her to her new accommodations and make sure she's comfortable with them" Alfor went on.

Coran kept typing into his datapad as he spoke.

"I'll be sure to introduce her to all of the patrol leaders as well," Coran added.

Alfor nodded in agreement. Coran was going to have to do quite a bit to get this all set up as quickly as Alfor wanted. There were salaries that needed to be negotiated, public announcements, a ceremony was going to be required for her promotion. It was going to be quite a busy week. Alfor reached for Coran's datapad and plucked it from the Royal Advisor's hands. Coran stared at him quizzically and Alfor smiled rather coyly.

"It is of the utmost importance that you introduce Nayni to her new ward," Alfor said.

Coran nodded. He blushed a bit because he realized that the most important part of all of this had slipped his mind. It didn't matter if the other Guardsmen approved or what badges Nayni was going to have pinned to her chest. What really mattered was the start of that relationship. What really mattered was ensuring that Nayni and sweet, little Allura got off to the right start. Alfor turned to return to the audience chamber. He was probably about to give the good news to Madame Nordontu. Coran would be getting to know her quite well soon and he was looking forward to their future interactions.

* * *

Allura was watching the man that had been her pillar for years crumbling before her. Coran was hovering over the main control panel on the bridge. He gripped onto the edges of the panel. If he let go, Allura imagined he would fall to his knees. He was trying to keep it together but she knew as soon as he heard Lance's distress call that Coran had lost it. It had been disturbing to listen to. Allura had wanted to be furious. She wanted to throttle Lance but she just couldn't muster up those feelings.

She was too sick with worry. Lance and Nanny had been complete idiots. She'd thought Nanny was better than that. It seemed so out of the norm for the Guard Captain to act so rashly. Allura wasn't surprised that Lotor and Tomyko had been involved. She was just surprised that Lotor hadn't made this play earlier. She couldn't begin to understand how he'd gotten Lance and Nanny on board.

Coran kept his eyes glued to the main display and the two tracking programs. He was obsessively watching the movements of the Galra fleets and the Queen's militia. Shiro had wanted to put together a plan immediately. He and the remaining Paladins were doing just that in the lounge. Allura should be present for that but she couldn't tear herself away from her mentor.

He needed her. She needed to be there for him. They'd spent the past few years thinking they were the only Alteans left. They'd been there for each other and they needed each other now. The past few days had just been a barrage of awful events. They'd been through quite a bit. They'd survived for over ten thousand years but Allura was still terrified. She needed to get some piece of mind before she joined the other Paladins.

Allura approached Coran cautiously. She gingerly rested a hand on his shoulder. It had been awful enough thinking that Nanny, Father, and everyone else they knew had died. But to have Nanny back and gone again was awful. It wasn't just Nanny though. Lance was in danger too. He was a valuable member of the team and he was her friend.

She thought about how he'd held her the night before in the Terrapin village and let her cry on his shoulder. She smeared snot and tears all over his Paladin armor and Lance had just rubbed her back and whispered reassurances to her. Allura couldn't even explain why it'd been him she turned to. Coran had been glued to Nanny's healing pod. But she knew she could've turned to any of the Paladins but she'd turned to him. Allura's breath kept catching in her throat.

She felt like crying again. Lance had been here and then had vanished in an instant. The concept of losing the Red Lion and Lotor was scary but the idea of losing him had really shaken her. It had disturbed her in a way that she hadn't expected. Coran hadn't even acknowledged the presence of Allura's hand on his shoulder. He'd always been the optimistic one. He'd always provided her with little injections of hope and strength. Now they were both a wreck again.

Allura squeezed his shoulder and he still didn't respond.

"Coran, please," Allura said weakly.

He glanced up from the monitor. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked pale. His red hair was messy and his ears were drooped. She knew she didn't look much better.

"I _need_ her back," Coran said. "And Lance-"

The way his voice cracked when he spoke was breaking Allura's heart.

"We'll get them all back," Allura said.

Coran shook his head. He was trembling. She knew he shared a special bond with Lance too. It appeared both of them had an extra layer of attachment tied up in all of this. She considered all of the Paladins family at this point and Coran probably did too. But Lance had been the first Paladin that Coran had really bonded with, she had no doubt that he looked upon him as a son. Allura just wasn't sure if she looked at the Blue Paladin as a brother anymore. This confusion was not helping her cope with this situation at all.

Allura knew all of the Paladins cared about her but Lance, well, she knew exactly how Lance felt. She was definitely questioning how she felt now. It wasn't exactly the best time to be focusing on something like that. But she'd felt so grateful last night and she couldn't explain why. Coran finally pulled himself away from the main display. He had a strange look in his eye.

"You were too young to remember the first time you met Nayni," Coran said.

He wasn't quite smiling but the mere mention of that memory was so bittersweet. She couldn't really remember it. Allura just shook her head.

"Nayni seemed so overwhelmed," Coran said. "She didn't have the slightest clue what to do with this little girl clinging to her leg. It was like you were some Kabullion parasite trying to suck the life out of her."

Allura chuckled. It felt weird to laugh given the circumstances but it was a nice brief taste of relief. Coran leaned against the control panel. He wasn't making eye contact with her. He was just staring off into nothingness. He seemed to be galaxies away from her.

"But within the varga she was sitting on the floor with you helping you build a castle with your blocks," Coran said. "You were both smiling so much. You lit up the whole room. You were just a little ball of giggles and joy."

Allura wiped a tear away from her cheek. She remembered the hours she'd spent playing games with Nanny. She remembered how the Guard Captain would plead with her not to go traipsing off into the shrubbery in the garden. Allura would hide amidst the green leaves and giggle while Nanny huffed and puffed. She'd scold the Princess every time but it never stopped Allura from doing it again and again. When she was little she found it so annoying how Nanny would nag her to eat all the vegetables on her plate. She always insisted Allura keep her room neat so the servants had an easier time cleaning her quarters. Now that she was older, she knew all of that nagging came from a place of love.

Coran rubbed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"That woman loved you with all her heart from day one," Coran said.

Allura's bottom lip was trembling. She couldn't remember her mother at all. All Allura had ever possessed were some photos and the stories that her father had shared with her. Nanny was the closest she'd had to a mother. She may not have been the elegant diplomat that her mother was. She wasn't poised and graceful as her mother was. And Nanny certainly didn't handle social situations as well as her mother had. But Nanny had cradled Allura in her arms when she scraped her knee. She'd read her stories and bought her iced confections when she was sad.

Allura looked at Coran. His head was hung low again and he seemed to be struggling to keep it together.

"You were the sun to her," Allura said.

Nanny hadn't exactly been good at hiding that. She'd wait for Coran to turn around or for them to part ways but she always got that same look in her eye. She'd smile and blush. Coran had always left her beaming. Nanny was willing to do anything for that man. Maybe that's why she'd gone on this idiotic adventure. And maybe Lance had done the very same thing for Allura.

Lance had Allura laughing during her darkest moments. He'd helped her believe in herself in the thick of a fight. He'd cried with her. Lance let her know it was okay to be weak sometimes. He let her know she didn't always have to be the stoic and unshakable leader. She was allowed to be a person too. Allura clenched her fists. She was filled with a new sense of determination now.

"We're getting them back, Coran," Allura said.

Once they were back, they were going to put a stop to all of this. They weren't going to let the Queen take any more lives. They weren't going to let her destroy another world. She wasn't going to take anything else from them. Allura was ready to help lay out their plan of attack but she was hesitant to leave Coran alone just yet.

"Do you still need me?" Allura asked.

Coran looked up at the main display. They both watched the cluster of red and violet blips dance across the screen in the same loop. The Galra forces had clearly made a dent in the Queen's militia. They'd fled. They may have escaped with a valuable prize but they were still vulnerable.

"I need _all_ of you," Coran said."Let's join the other Paladins. We've got a lot of work to do."


	29. It's My Life

_Author's Note: Get a snack, grab a drink, get comfy because this is a long one._

* * *

The Queen's chamber on the Castle was only illuminated by the red glow of the quintessence coursing through the intricate web of tubes that were attached to her frail body. The Advisor could feel the energy in the air like the static before a storm. She tilted her head up to look at him. Her ghostly silver hair flowed over her body and brushed against the tangled mess of cables and tubes on the floor. The battle they'd fled from had drained her. The red glow of her eyes was not as bright as it was supposed to be. She needed to recharge. The Advisor would watch a billion Alteans die before he would allow this girl to fall.

Even though she looked like an ancient priestess that had emerged from an abandoned temple, she was still just a child to him. The Queen would always be a child to him. They were both so old now. Their lifespans had stretched out far beyond what was natural. Between the two of them, they possessed thousands of years of knowledge and power. It was the Queen who possessed the most power between them though.

She scraped one of her long fingernails along the arm of her throne. The metallic vessel was so worn and old. The tubes that ran in and out of that structure were like the veins of this Castle. They connected to the hunks of the transreality comet that kept her fueled with an endless supply of quintessence. She was apart of this Castle. It was just a mere extension of her body. That is not how it had started but it was what had become necessary to keep her alive. The Queen's chest rose and fell as she took in labored breaths.

"Did you finish probing their minds?" The Queen wheezed.

The Advisor peered out from underneath his hood. A wicked grin crept across his pale face. He'd quite enjoyed invading the minds of their prisoners. He'd found quite a bit of information about this reality. They were still locked away in their stasis chambers. They were suspended in that thick red fluid like specimens in a jar. All of them _except_ for one.

"Yes," The Advisor said. "I think I've gotten everything I need from them."

The Queen was too weak to nod. Her ears just twitched in response.

"And that _thing_? The Lion?" The Queen asked.

The Advisor shook his head.

"No one can get past the barrier that's gone up around it," The Advisor explained. "It's useless to us for now."

He was bound and determined to get at that thing and examine it. They had never seen anything like it. It was a part of that warrior that their enemies possessed. He didn't know exactly how the mechanisms worked but it appeared they would need it to reform that superweapon. The Queen didn't seem to be very pleased with his answer. She grimaced and he got a glimpse of her sharp white teeth.

"Begone," The Queen hissed. "Come back when you have more answers for me."

She may have been displeased with him but The Advisor knew it was rest that she truly needed. Even just talking to him was making her expend energy that she desperately needed. He was more than willing to part with her this time. He had a new plaything that he was dying to toy with. He bowed before her.

His black and crimson robe swept around him as he left her chamber. He navigated the twisting hallways of the Castle out of instinct. He'd walked these halls so many times that it was second nature to him. He'd helped build this vessel with his own hands. They had been toying with a power that they didn't fully understand back then. He knew it very well now. It had been the tool for their revenge and their redemption.

The Altean crew members would move out of his way without The Advisor having to utter a word. They would push themselves up against the wall and salute him. Their dark red uniforms made them blend in with the walls of the ancient vessel. He had no time for them. He was too eager. The anticipation was eating at him like cancer. It had been thousands of years since he'd had an opportunity like this.

He stood before the doors to his chambers. His mouth was already watering. They'd chosen the perfect reality to invade. The spoils they'd plundered from here were more delicious than he ever would've hoped for. The doors to his chamber slid open. His quarters were dimly lit. It hid the true size of the room. Several rooms branched off from this chamber. The entryway was kept rather plain. There wasn't much to it aside from the sparsely placed red lights on the walls.

His prize was restrained in the center of the room. The glow of her restraints illuminated her round face in red. She was hunched over. Her wild mass of brown hair had engulfed her features. She looked up at him when he entered the room. There was no fear in her eyes. But they were burning with fury and anger. The Advisor waved his slender hand through the air and her restraints flickered off. The prisoner didn't hesitate.

Nayni lept at him. Her thick arm swung through the air and her fist slammed into his jaw. She knocked his head back, his hood fell away. His long silver hair was exposed to the air. The Advisor felt the cold trickle of his blood coming out of the corner of his mouth. He cackled. _This_ Nayni was quite different from _his_. This Nayni had quite a bit of bite to her. She charged for him again but he shoved her to the ground.

"I'll let you have that one," The Advisor said.

He wiped the blood away from his face on the back of his hand.

"But if you try that one more time, I'm restraining you again," The Advisor warned.

Nayni scowled. She crawled along the cold metal floor away from him. It was truly remarkable how much she resembled _his_ Nayni. Their appearance was nearly exactly the same but he could already feel the difference in her mind. He could feel that this was a completely different soul. Now that his face was fully revealed to her she seemed troubled. Her eyes were wide and sweat was rolling down the curve of her face. He twirled the end of his silver mustache and grinned.

"Are you scared?" The Advisor teased.

Nayni clenched her jaw. It appeared she was going to keep her mouth shut. He didn't mind that in the least. It was going to make this that much more delightful. He walked around her, the hem of his robe dragged across the floor and barely made a sound.

"Don't fret, my dear, I know you'll talk when you're ready," The Advisor said.

That term of endearment seemed to disturb her. She was trying to hide her fear from him but it was useless. No one could hide from him, especially not her.

"You can trust me," The Advisor said.

Nayni just shook her head and wrinkled her nose. That look of disdain she kept giving him was making it so hard for him to focus. Her rage was so intoxicating. It was going to be torture to wait. He already was so thirsty to play his games with her.

"You're a reasonable woman," The Advisor said. "I imagine you need a bit more than just my words before you'll put your trust in me though."

He knelt down. She refused to look him in the eye. He wrapped his long, grey fingers around her face. It took a bit of effort to get her to tilt her head up. He narrowed his red glowing eyes and smirked.

"You are so certain you can trust your companions," The Advisor said. "But I've seen inside their minds. I've seen things about them that you don't know."

Nothing about what he said seemed to shake her. Nayni just gritted her teeth and glared at him. He pulled his hand away and got back to his feet. He straightened out his robes. He didn't want them to be too wrinkled. He did have a guest, after all. _His_ Nayni would've wanted him to keep up appearances.

"The boy for instance," The Advisor said. "He called you a _bitch_ shortly after you met. Now I didn't know what that meant but after I dug a little deeper-it turns out it's not a very nice word."

Nayni rolled her eyes. He didn't expect that to impress her very much. It was a rather trivial piece of information. But he didn't want to dive right in with the juicy tidbits. That would take all the fun out of it.

" _Your_ Lotor is quite an interesting fellow. He's vastly different from the one I know," The Advisor said.

She peeked out from behind her mass of brown hair. Yes, he knew this would reel her in. He'd sensed that tension between them. He'd found quite a bit in Lotor's mind. He was a man with a complicated past. He was rather clever and manipulative. The Advisor had actually started to respect this incarnation of him a bit.

"Now don't you try and strike me again," The Advisor said. "I'm going to touch you."

Nayni stiffened.

"You need to see this for yourself," The Advisor hissed.

He seized her by the hair. He gripped her forehead with his fingertips. Her skin was slick with sweat and her eyes were darting around the room wildly. The tips of his fingers began to glow with red. He watched her eyes slowly be consumed by that strange glow. He started to slip Lotor's memories into her brain. Nayni tried to pull away from him at first but he kept his grip on her. The way she struggled made him grin.

"What do you see?" The Advisor asked.

Nayni's lips parted. She didn't need to respond. He already knew what she was seeing. He was just hoping she'd finally speak to him. She was fighting it. He crept into her mind so he could watch these memories play out for her. He wanted to feel her reaction to it all.

The images in her head were foggy but they were slowly growing more clear. It was the Ark. He had learned what this vessel was from Lotor but it was like an alarm bell in her mind. She recognized the long hallways and the rows of broken sleep chambers. The vessel was in shambles. Only the dim light of one sleep chamber remained. The glow barely illuminated the features of Lotor's face. His entourage was close behind him. Their names ran through his mind again. Nayni trembled a bit as the information was forced into her.

The Advisor could hear the dreamlike quality of their voices as they spoke. Nayni's ears twitched with every syllable that Lotor uttered. She started to murmur and the Advisor smiled wickedly. Lotor's words were coming out of her mouth. They were barely a whisper but they were what the Galra Prince had uttered in that distant memory. One of Zarkon's generals had been ordered to destroy the Ark vessel once it had been tracked down. He failed to finish the job. It ended up costing the general his life.

The words kept spilling out of Nayni's mouth against her will. She muttered all of their words like they were some prayer being whispered in a cathedral.

" _No, Zehtrid, we're leaving it. This will come in handy someday_ ," Nayni whispered.

The Advisor released her. She fell forward. Nayni coughed and gagged. She gasped for breath. The red fog faded from her eyes. The Advisor watched her writhe around on the floor with great pleasure. She clung to the rags she was clad in. Her eyes were wide and her bottom lip trembled.

"He was sent to kill me," Nayni stammered. "He was supposed to destroy everything."

She looked over her shoulder. She stared up at the Advisor. He lived for that look. He lived to see that confusion and fear in people's eyes. He took such pleasure in shattering people's perception of their lives. Her violet eyes flickered over him. She fixed her gaze on the cold surface of the floor.

"I'm only alive because he thought I would be a useful tool," Nayni said. "He didn't even know who I was. _He didn't care_."

So much of life was just a matter of chance and timing. It was a brutal truth of the universe. It didn't matter what version of it someone was in. It was a fact that everyone seemed to find so deeply troubling. It's why he loved reminding people of it. He loved seeing that realization in their eyes. He loved seeing the moment someone realized they were insignificant and had no control. Their entire life was the product of circumstance. There were a few exceptions.

There was something old and ancient that was the lifeblood of everything. Something that wove pieces together in ways that even he did not fully understand. The Advisor had possessed a Nayni of his own and his counterpart here possessed this one. This was the first reality other than his that they had visited. And he would tear through all of them to find out the truth of it all. The Queen would possess all of these worlds and all of these endless possibilities and they would know the truth of it all.

He had Nayni right where he wanted her. The Advisor had gotten her to question things. Now he could toy with her until she let everything spill out of her. He'd open her up and dig out all of her dark secrets. He ran his fingers through her tangled hair. He pulled back the brown mass and exposed the tips of her pointed ears. His lips hovered over the surface of her neck. She was shaking. He could feel her pulse starting to race.

"C-Coran," Nayni stammered.

The Advisor recoiled. He hadn't planned for this. He hadn't expected to feel this way. To hear that voice say his name again. It disturbed him. Nayni pulled away from him and crept to the other side of the room. She looked at him with such disgust and hatred.

"If you lay another quiznacking finger on me, I'll break your arm," Nayni snapped.

His nostrils flared and he started for her. He felt like he was aflame. She pulled her fist back, she was readying herself to strike him again. She was an idiot. He could bring her life to an end with the flick of his finger and she still insisted on fighting him. He grabbed her by the wrist and pinned her against the wall. This startled her but her eyes were still burning with determination. He wanted to break her. He wanted to watch her fall apart but some old instinct that he'd thought he'd forgotten was stopping him.

"I know the lies Tomyko planted in your head," The Advisor hissed. "She only told you the half of it. She only told you the parts that she wanted you to hear. She didn't give you the whole ugly truth of it."

He saw that brief flicker of doubt cross Nayni's mind. He latched onto it. He was going to show her. He was going to show her everything. He pressed his face close to hers. He could feel her hot, panicked breaths falling on his cold flesh.

"I didn't kill _you,_ " The Advisor whispered.

He pressed his hand to her forehead again. His fingertips grew hot as they glowed with his quintessence once more. Nayni struggled even more this time. She thrashed her legs and tried to kick him. He placated her with his quintessence. He drained just enough from her so she was too weak to fight him off. He slithered into her mind and her eyes rolled back. They were consumed in that same red foggy glow. The red markings on his face illuminated like the stars in the night sky. Nayni went limp. He dug up those ancient memories and started thrusting them into her mind. _His_ Nayni had given them to him so long ago and now he was sharing them for the first time.

* * *

Again with the yelling. Always the yelling. _Why won't you come with me? I want someone to come home to on Daibazaal! I just want to be with you again! Don't you love me? Don't you want to be with me every day?_ Every time they spoke over the telecoms, it was always the same argument. Tomyko was always pressuring her. She expected Nayni to just say goodbye to everything she knew and leave. She expected her to abandon the Princess and everything she loved. Nayni did love Tomyko too.

Nayni loved Tomyko more than anything. It hurt to be questioned like that. It broke her heart every time. She knew Tomyko cared. She never questioned it. But Tomyko always questioned her. She always pushed Nayni to do what she wanted. Tomyko never stopped to ask what Nayni wanted. Nayni wanted to stay home. She wanted to be on Altea. She wanted to scream this to Tomyko. She wanted to shout it from the top of the Royal Palace but even then she wondered if Tomyko would actually listen.

Her hand trembled as she tried to fix her makeup. Again with the crying. Again with the hiding it. Again with the heartache. And again she was too scared to speak her mind. If Nayni told anyone the things that Tomyko said about their King she could be executed for treason. She was lucky that she was stationed on Daibazaal. Nayni still believed in Altea. She still believed in everything it stood for even if Tomyko didn't.

She adjusted her brown curls until they were perfectly styled again. Her eyes still looked red and puffy. She still had time. The walk down the halls would give it time for the swelling to go down. Maybe she'd stop sniffling by the time she got back to the Princess. Her footfalls echoed off of the glossy white walls. She passed by the red tapestries too quickly to pay attention to the elaborate stories that had been embroidered on them.

There was to be no luck. She never had any luck. The Royal Advisor was headed her way. He was her friend and she trusted him but she'd already told him too much. Every time she fought with Tomyko she'd come crying to him. Coran was a good person. Despite how Tomyko felt, Nayni believed that in her core. He would let Nayni unload all of her fears on him and not once did he exploit that. Coran always told her things would work out. He always promised that Nayni and Tomyko could make it through this.

He may have believed it but Nayni didn't anymore. She was galaxies away from her wife and she felt like the space between their hearts was even further than that now. Coran looked fearful as he always did. He could already tell what had happened. She tried to straighten out her red uniform. She didn't know how that would help. No amount of makeup could hide this. He reached for her but recoiled his hand. He was always so scared to make physical contact. His ears were already twitching with anxiety.

"Again?" He pressed.

She gripped onto the deep crimson fabric of his uniform. He stiffened. He was a quiet man. He was much more skittish than she was. He was so bookish and shy. He'd worn his hair the same way for years. Coran wasn't very fashionable and seemed to struggle greatly with social interactions. Nayni felt like Coran let people walk all over him. She wasn't in a position to judge though. Nayni let Tomyko do the same to her.

"I just don't know how to tell her," Nayni said. "She'd feel awful if she knew how much she was hurting me. I'm just scared to say anything."

Her grip on his wrist tightened.

"You shouldn't b-be afraid of your own w-wife," Coran said.

Those words haunted her from that day forward. With every morning she woke and every night that she went to bed they stayed in her head. They swirled around like eels in a pool. The more that doubt grew the more Tomyko pushed. Maybe her wife felt it. Maybe she felt her slipping away but the harder that Tomyko tried to pull her away the more Nayni wanted to stay. And the guilt was tearing her apart too.

She shared everything with Coran. Maybe it was because he never had a harsh word for her. Coran would just pour her cups of his bland tea. And Nayni would listen to him. He'd go on and on about the project he was working on with King Alfor. He found it so fascinating. Tomyko thought this transreality comet was an abomination. She thought the King's obsession with it fell into the realm of insanity. Coran's face would light up when he spoke of the Castle's construction. Every time they came to realize something new about the comet he would divulge it all to Nayni. She knew he wasn't supposed to. She worried what would happen to this gentle soul if anyone found out.

Something rather indecent had started to invade their friendship. The thoughts filled Nayni with such guilt. Tomyko had wanted their marriage to be one of monogamy. They'd had friends in polyamorous relationships but that wasn't the nature of theirs. So Nayni felt like a monster for even fantasizing about breaking those vows. She wanted Coran to push her up on his desk and rip off her skirt. She wanted to see her lipstick smeared all over his face. She wanted to taste him on her lips and grab her by the hair. They were just thoughts. They were just filthy dreams that kept her warm at night but she felt like a monster for having them. She was too scared to even bring it up with Tomyko. She knew her wife would feel betrayed and it would just lead to more yelling.

The Castle had been completed. It was like a giant glittering ruby. Coran was so proud. He spoke with such excitement. They knew it was powerful. They hoped it possessed the ability to travel through realities but they had no idea if it could yet. To see him beam with pride made her smile. She'd gotten so used to how he acted around her that she forgot how sheepish he was around others. The King would mock him for being so soft spoken but Coran still worshipped the ground that man walked upon. He put the Princess on an even higher pedestal. They both did. She was such a strong young woman. She knew when to show mercy and she knew when to be firm.

Alfor's curiosity consumed him. Nayni did not like to think that Tomyko had been right but she wondered about it. He tried to enter the rift left by the comet. Coran had watched the man be torn to pieces. He said he'd been ripped apart and turned to ash. It had disturbed the Royal Advisor. It brought him nightmares. Nayni would hold his hand when he spoke of them. His hand would tremble and she did her best to soothe him. But after the King's death, neither of them had as much time to spend with one another. They had to help the Princess ascend to power. They had to help her transition into the role of a Queen.

Tomyko's insistence for Nayni to leave Altea only grew more passionate and fiery after Alfor's death. She kept claiming that Nayni was staying on a sinking ship. It disgusted her. Tomyko had no loyalty to Altea anymore. She spoke of Zarkon and Honerva as if they were deities. They were not flawless. They had shunned Alfor for his endeavors. They disrespected his memory by using it as some tool to try and sway the other planetary civilizations to close the rift. Tomyko couldn't understand. She didn't even try to understand how Nayni felt anymore. The only thing that kept them bound together anymore was the legality of their marriage vows. Vows that Nayni was too frightened to try and break.

She could parade around at balls and the Palace halls in her elaborate outfits. She could charm anyone she laid her eyes on but when it came to Tomyko she felt powerless. They used to joke that Tomyko was the only woman that had been able to tame her. That joke only filled her with resentment now. She felt like Tomyko's love was real. But it had made her selfish. It blinded her to so much. She felt like Coran was the only one who truly listened to her. He was the only one who truly heard her for who she was.

Queen Allura managed to keep fending off the pressures from their intergalactic allies. She continued her father's research on the rift but the quintessence exposure did something to her. It was weakening her. There were days she could barely walk. Coran would have to carry her to her laboratory. Then there came a day where she couldn't walk at all. She tried to work from her bed but that even came to a stop. Nayni held her bony hand with tears in her eyes. Her ward was slipping away. If Allura was lost then there would be no one left to lead the Alteans.

Coran huddled by Allura's bedside with Nayni. His ears twitched nervously. He kept staring at the floor. Nayni had taken his trembling hands in hers. She looked into his scared violet eyes.

"Just speak, Coran, I know there's something on your mind," Nayni said.

Coran gulped and bit his bottom lip. His gaze flickered over to their frail, dying Queen.

"I w-want to t-take her into the rift," Coran stammered. "If we take the Castle, we should be able to pass through and-and all that q-quintessence should restore her."

Seeing the two people she cherished most risk their lives frightened Nayni. But something had to be done. They could not just sit by and watch the Queen fade away into oblivion.

"But it could kill you both," Nayni said.

Coran looked down at their hands. He tightened his grip. Over all of the years that they had known each other she had never seen him so determined.

"But if we do n-nothing Allura will d-die anyway," Coran said.

Nayni gazed up into his eyes. This was the first time that he didn't seem to be harboring any anxiety.

"And if I d-die, it will be in s-service to the Crown," Coran said. "And that is how I w-want it to be."

She didn't want to lose him. She didn't want to lose either of them. They were all she had any more. She felt like she didn't even have her own wife anymore. But she wasn't going to stop him. He'd spent his entire life doing the bidding of others. Nayni wanted him to have this. Even if it killed him. She wanted this meek man to feel the strength that she knew he possessed. So she got on her tiptoes and planted a tender kiss on his cheek. It shocked her just as much as it did him.

He pressed his hand to his cheek. Coran stared at the smear of red lipstick on his glove. He touched his hand to that same spot when he stepped onto the Castle. Nayni hoped that the two of them would return to her. She believed in his intelligence. She believed that he was right. She still hid their plan from Tomyko because she knew her wife wouldn't believe. Her wife had stopped believing in Altea for quite some years now. Nayni watched the Castle descend into the rift in the dark of night.

The red light of the rift spilled into the inky black sky. Once the Castle had been completely swallowed up by that light, the rift erupted. Lightning snaked up and licked at the sky. An otherworldly thunder rumbled from the chasm and made the earth beneath her feet shake. An icy wind swirled around the rift, it whipped through her hair and sent a chill down to her core. The power pouring out of that chasm felt old. It felt older than the universe itself.

She felt like she was going to faint. The Castle reemerged but it was not the vessel it had once been. It had become something else. It was both terrifying and beautiful. It looked like a mountain of obsidian that had been sculpted into a grand, towering palace. She fell to her knees. The world around her was spinning. The ground rumbled and shook as the rift tore open even farther. It was ripping apart the rock around it. It flung chunks of earth into the air. She watched the crimson clouds swirl around the Castle as it came down to land. She felt the fear in her heart dissolve and her excitation begin to swell.

When Coran emerged she almost didn't recognize him. Gone was the man that scuttled about like some unwanted vermin. He strode down the ramp with such authority. His pink flesh was now a pale grey. It was as if he had been drained of all color. The hair upon his head was silver like the light of the moon and it fluttered in the wind. And his eyes. His eyes showed no fear. They possessed no anxiety or weakness. They gleamed like rubies and filled her with hope.

He held out his hand and she took it without a moment's hesitation. He took her onto the Castle without uttering a word. The Queen was renewed. Her skin had transitioned from that rich brown hue into shades of grey. She would've still appeared to be sickly if she wasn't radiating with pure quintessence. She stood tall on the Castle's bridge. She had undergone the same transformation that Coran had. Nayni was so overjoyed that tears came to her. It had worked. She bowed before Allura. She was overcome with such bliss and relief that she couldn't speak. Coran had done it. He had saved the bloodline. The Altean empire would carry on.

But the rest of the universe thought Altea would still fall. The rift continued to grow. It slowly consumed more and more of their homeworld. News spread quickly across the universe. Zarkon believed the rift was going to consume the entire universe if they didn't close it. Their former ally was suggesting they completely destroy the planet they called home in order to close it. Everyone that had once stood by the Alteans had now become their enemy. That was when Tomyko came for her. They hadn't spoken since Coran had taken the Castle into the rift.

Nayni waited for the Galra shuttle to land. She was finally going to end this and of her own volition. She watched her wife emerge from the sleek purple vessel. She almost didn't recognize Tomyko. The brave woman she'd married, the woman who had spoken her mind without hesitation, and the woman that had let nothing shake her actually looked scared.

"Nayni, please," Tomyko begged. "You have to come with me now."

Again with the orders. Nayni shook her head.

"Nayni, you don't know what you're doing! Please, come with me! You'll die!" Tomyko pleaded.

Again with the yelling. She acted as if Nayni wasn't capable of deciding anything for herself. She was not the insipid pretty little thing that Tomyko had made her out to be.

"Nayni, this is madness! Zarkon has promised all the Alteans safe harbor," Tomyko said. "We have to close the rift or we're all going to die."

Again with the doubt. Again with the betrayal. Nayni clenched her fists. Tomyko hadn't listened for years but she was going to listen now. She was finally going hear what Nayni had to say. The woman that Nayni had been was gone. She wasn't going to let fear dictate her life any longer.

"No," Nayni said.

Tomyko recoiled. Tears were forming in her eyes. Nayni narrowed her gaze. No amount of tears or begging were going to sway her.

"You're going to listen to me, now!" Nayni spat. "You've abandoned your own people, Tomyko! You're the one who doesn't know what you're doing! You're the one who has shut everyone out! Allura is capable of so much more than you could ever imagine!"

Nayni was shaking. All of the years of pent-up frustration were pouring out of her.

"I'm done, Tomyko," Nayni said. "I'm not your wife anymore."

Tomyko started for her. Tears were streaming down her slender face. Tomyko seized Nayni and shook her. She shook her like she was a ragdoll.

"No no no no, Nayni!" Tomyko sobbed. "You don't mean that. Please, I still love you! Don't leave me!"

Nayni pushed Tomyko away. She felt a new fire burning within her.

"I'm done," Nayni pressed.

Tomyko kept shaking her head. Coran emerged from the shadows. Nayni knew he'd been there from the start. He had been there for her as he had always been and always would be. He moved across the landing pad like a specter. Tomyko was the one trembling now. She was the fearful one. She grabbed Nayni by the wrist and tried to drag her back to the Galra shuttle. Nayni squirmed and struggled to free herself. Coran struck Tomyko with the quickness of a viper. Nayni watched her fall to the ground. Violet blood poured out of the wound that had opened up across her nose.

Nayni looked down at her. She felt such a deep satisfaction to be the one with power now. She wasn't the pretty little doll that Tomyko had built her up to be.

"Go," Nayni said. "I'm a new woman now and I don't have room for a traitor in my life."

Tomyko had fled from their homeworld as she had hundreds of times. She was never to return again. But Tomyko had been right. They escaped from their homeworld before Zarkon turned Altea to ash and closed the rift. The Galra King with his Altean bride had betrayed his oldest allies and destroyed his wife's home. The Queen had rescued her people though. And now they had the entire army of the Altean Empire at their backs.

They were a people without a home and without allies. They were a race that had been shunned by the rest of the universe. Coran had reached for her hand. She had gazed up at his shrouded face. He had come so far. He'd brought their Queen back to life. He had restored the person that had been their salvation. He ran his fingers through Nayni's hair and brushed it away from her face. The edge of his mustache curled up as he smiled.

"There will be no more fear for us," Coran hissed. "Now the universe will tremble before us."

He took her in his chambers. Nayni had never felt so alive. He'd lain her down in the scarlet, silken sheets of his bed. He pinned her wrists to the mattress. Their hungry kisses left her dark lipstick smeared across his face and along the skin of his neck. With every touch, with every desperate gasp and sigh, she felt her fear slipping away. She dug her nails into the flesh of his back. She didn't have to tell him what to do. It was as if Coran was reading her mind.

Coran grabbed her by the hair and yanked back her head exposing the tender flesh of her neck. He nibbled on her neck and the sharp pain made her gasp with delight. She arched her back as he kissed along the curves of her body. She could feel his mustache scratching against the surface of her soft skin and she shuddered. He scolded her if she whimpered too quietly. He didn't want her to hold back. He pushed her to the point where she felt as if her body was being consumed in flame.

He tortured her throughout that first night. He brought her to the point of ecstasy over a dozen times. The quiet moments in between were filled with whispered confessions. Nayni found out that quiet man had wanted to make her squirm and writhe for years. She found out that his heart broke every time she cried with him because he felt he didn't have a voice either. She grabbed him by the neck and whispered lurid fantasies in his ear. Coran made every one of them come to be.

They watched a thousand worlds burn. There was something tender and deep that lay beneath their wild endeavors. Coran never passed a boundary that she'd set. He never crossed a line without her permission. He listened to her. He'd bind her hands when she asked and release her when she uttered the word they'd agreed upon.

He never stopped listening. Even after Daibazaal had fallen and they believed their most hated enemies were dead. She'd bend the knee during the day and do whatever she could to serve her Queen. And at night her Advisor would make anything she ever desired come to be. He filled her belly with exotic wine and foreign delicacies. He never tired of it. She never grew sick of that look in his eyes. That sheer, pure delight he felt every time she succumbed to his passion and crossed over the final threshold.

But she grew older while he stayed the same. His gorgeous face remained unchanged. His silver hair still possessed the same sparkling luster it always had. The lines and the sculpted features of his face remained stagnant. The Queen's hair grew longer but she still possessed that same youthful face. Over the stretch of years, the Queen's empire continued to grow and more wrinkles appeared on Nayni's face.

Nayni started to struggle to keep up with the Advisor. The nights filled with animal passion became rarer. He'd spend the dark of night holding her in his arms and stroking her hair. Nayni's brown hair grew dull, the green markings on her face had started to fade. On every Nameday he'd ask Nayni if he could restore her as he had the Queen. And every time she refused him.

The rift had changed Coran. She feared for how it would change her. She'd loved the man he had been and she loved the man he had become. But she feared that he might not love the person that would emerge from that rift. The rift had given Coran a voice. It had unleashed the man that had always lied beneath. But Nayni didn't need that. He'd given her the voice she'd always longed for. He'd treated her as an equal. The only time he'd disrespected her was when she'd asked for it.

Her last day finally came. She'd been too weak to leave their bed for nearly a month. She felt her time in this realm was coming to an end. The Queen rewarded her for her lifetime of service by respecting her wishes to slip away quietly with her longtime lover. The Advisor had stayed by her bedside. His immortal face watching her take in every precious breath. He held her frail hand and rubbed his thumb over her skin that felt as thin as paper.

"Nayni, please," The Advisor begged. "I still need you. The Queen still needs you."

Nayni smiled. It took so much energy and strength just to do that. She tried to lift her hand but she couldn't. Coran brought her hand to his face. He nuzzled his face into her bony palm.

"She doesn't need me, she hasn't for years," Nayni said.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"And I've told you a thousand times why I want it this way," Nayni croaked.

She felt him trembling for the first time in years. She got a glimpse of the man he had once been. She saw that fear flickering in his eyes. She traced her fingertips along the supple flesh of his cheeks.

"We'll meet again one day, I know it," Nayni murmured.

He tightened his grip. His nostrils flared. She saw the anger rising within him.

"No," The Advisor said.

His tone was so cold that she found herself actually feeling frightened. He wrenched her from the bed. He held her in his arms like a broken doll as he marched through the dark chamber. She was too feeble to fight him. He stormed into the emergency chamber. She stared at the empty hibernation pod and her eyes widened.

"C-Coran, no," Nayni pleaded.

He looked down at her as if she was some precious jewel.

"You won't allow me to take you into the rift," The Advisor said. "But I can't allow you to die either."

She started to tremble. He placed her in the pod. Nayni kept shaking her head. She kept pleading with him to take her out. This would be so much worse than death. She didn't want to be trapped in the pod, on display like some ancient vase in a museum. She didn't want to spend eternity as an old Altean woman on the verge of death. This was her life. These were her choices to make, not his. She kept begging as he typed into the control panel. She kept screaming until her voice was hoarse as the barrier closed around her. She kept crying until the red viscous fluid poured into the pod and filled her lungs. Her eyes were locked on his and all she could see in those icy scarlet orbs was pain and hunger. In her final moments, he had betrayed her. He had finally stopped listening to her.

* * *

The Advisor released Nayni. She coughed and gasped as if he'd been holding her head underneath the water. Her eyes were wild and wide. She crawled away from him like some rodent trying escape from a predator. Her knees quivered as she tried to get back on her feet. She clawed at the wall in a vain attempted to stand. She was still too weak from the mind meld to move. Her olive skin was drenched in sweat.

He crept towards her. With every step, he could feel her fear growing more intense. She pressed herself against the wall. She tried to mask her fear with a cold look on her face but it was fruitless. He seized her by the hair and yanked her head back. She growled and thrashed. She swung a fist at his face again. The impact drew more blood from his mouth. He just laughed.

"Let me go, you filthy quiznack," Nayni snapped. "You're a monster! I saw what you did to her!"

The Advisor was actually having a tad bit of trouble holding her back now. He dragged her back to the center of the room. He tossed Nayni to the ground. With a flick of his wrist, the restraints appeared again. They clamped over her ankles and wrists. There was that delicious look of fright in her eyes again. She kept trying to squirm. She kept desperately trying to set herself free, even if it was pointless.

The Advisor ran his thumb across his split lip and smeared some of the violet blood in his silver mustache. His gaze flicked up to the locked door behind Nayni. Behind that door was where _his_ Nayni was still waiting. She was still frozen in time. He knew he had made the right choice. He _had_ known better than her. He had waited thousands of years and traversed across realities but the ancient forces of the universe had finally rewarded him for his patience.

He looked down at this _other_ Nayni. This woman only looked like his long lost lover. But that was enough for him. What soul lay within didn't matter to him. He reached down and brushed the tangled, damp mass of hair away from her face. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and he snickered.

"I'm going to take you into a rift," The Advisor said. "And when I'm done, I'm going to put all of her memories into that newly restored body."

Nayni's eyes widened. He could feel the terror within her. It was strangling her. It was as if he had reached within her and was squeezing the life out of her own heart.

"Her last request only applied to her body after all," The Advisor teased. "And _your_ body is definitely not hers."

He would leave her with those words. He wanted to make her writhe and make her heart beat ferociously. He wanted this Nayni's final days to be filled with terror. He wanted it to consume her sanity like fungus devouring a rotten log. He wanted her to lie awake at night knowing her fate. He wanted to relish in the dread she felt upon realizing that she was going to be a husk. She would forever be his prisoner and nothing more than a vessel. She was just a tool to him and that was all the meaning that her life would ever possess.


	30. Damaged

Red sparks flew into the air as Nayni banged her fists against the cold metal floor. She was cold and hungry. Her muscles ached from her ceaseless efforts to free herself from her restraints. She banged her fists on the ground again and more sparks flew into the air. She let out a curse and sat back. Nayni glanced over at the locked door where her doppelganger was held prisoner. She pitied her but she was not going to let her body be hijacked by The Advisor. She looked around the room again even though she knew it was pointless. There was nothing in here but smooth walls, locked doors and those dim red lights.

She needed to keep her head cool. If she kept panicking she wasn't going to get anywhere. She was certain that the Paladins were coming for them. They had to by now but she had no way to confirm it. Nayni didn't even know if Lotor's plan had worked out. She just hoped that the Galra had weakened the Queen's militia. They'd need every advantage they could get if they were going to get off of this vessel. She needed to find Lance and the others. They needed to get to the Red Lion and get back to the Castle.

Nayni took a deep breath. She was thinking too far ahead. She needed to focus on getting out of these restraints. That was the first step. She had no idea when The Advisor would be coming back. It could be in a few dobashes, vargas, maybe even days. She couldn't afford to wait that long. She could still feel the small cluster of the _other_ Nayni's memories swimming through her head. It felt like some foreign parasite had wriggled its way into her brain. They'd left her with so many questions but she'd have to wait to get those answers. It was quite possible that they would never be found out.

For now, these memories might have some answers that could help her. She had a vague idea of how this Castle was laid out now. She didn't have any security codes that she could pull from those memories and it was very likely that things had changed around this vessel since the other Nayni had been out and about. Her messy hair fell in her face as she looked down at her restraints.

She reeked of sweat and her own filth. She just kept staring at the glowing red bindings on her wrists. She kept sorting through every crevice of her brain for some kind of solution. She knew from her Guardsman training that if she didn't have the authorization or some kind of hacking tool that she was pretty quiznacked. She'd been banging her wrists on the ground in a desperate attempt to crack the projection mechanism and get it to short out. It hadn't exactly been working out very well.

She sat back and tried to relax her posture. The old tactics weren't working. She was short on time but if she kept panicking she wasn't going to be able to think straight. She took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. She tried to focus on her counterpart. There had to be something in those memories that could help her. Nayni found herself remembering a rather lurid one that was making her blush. Her counterpart was bound at the wrists, with these same restraints, lying in a bed. There was definitely some very unsavory activity going on. She focused harder.

Her counterpart thrashed and tried to free herself. Sweat was dripping down her face and she was making a great deal of noise. Nayni tried to push past the faint sensations she could feel and comb through the memory for anything actually related to the restraints. Her counterpart parted her ruby red lips and uttered two words. The restraints vanished and she grabbed The Advisor by his silver hair.

Nayni opened her eyes and smirked. It was a stretch but it was worth giving it a shot. She wriggled onto her side. She looked down at the restraints on her ankles. It would be really, really nice if this worked. Nayni sighed.

"Barca Barquentine," Nayni said.

She was very surprised when the restraints vanished.

"Security clearance accepted," A robotic voice chimed. "Welcome back, Nayni Nordontu Smythe."

"Idiot," Nayni mused.

Well, that was certainly interesting to hear. It was nice that The Advisor had been stupid enough to leave some of the security clearances unchanged. She hoped this little convenience would extend to the rest of the ship but she had no way of knowing until she got out of this room. She glanced at the locked door to the chamber where her counterpart was kept. Nayni felt such sadness thinking about her.

"Thanks for the help," Nayni murmured.

Nayni thought she heard her joints creaking as she got back on her feet. She rubbed her wrists to try and alleviate the mild discomfort. She couldn't just walk out the door either. If someone saw her running around in these rags they'd know immediately that she didn't belong. Nayni tore off a scrap of fabric from her shabby clothes. She used the strip of cloth to tie back her hair. At least now she wouldn't have to deal with that mess. She'd gotten out of the restraints, now it was time to focus on her next move. She needed to get out of this room and find a disguise.

"Is there something I can assist you with, Misses Smythe?" The robotic voice asked over the sound system.

If the circumstances were different Nayni would quite enjoy hearing this but at the moment it was just rather jarring to hear. Nayni looked around the room for a set of speakers or something to indicate where this AI was coming from but she couldn't really make anything out in the darkness. She just stared up at the ceiling awkwardly.

"Could you open the front door?" Nayni asked. "Pretty please?"

The door to the hallway slid open. Nayni darted behind the wall so no one outside could see her. The light from the exterior hallway poured into the musty dark room.

"Is that all, Misses Smythe?" The AI asked.

"Shut up!" Nayni snapped.

This robotic assistant was going to get her killed. A guard peeked through the open door and Nayni sprung into action. She wrapped her thick arm around his neck and pulled him back into the dark chamber. She covered his mouth to muffle his cries as she tightened her hold around his neck. This wouldn't kill him but it'd knock him out. He'd wake up in a few vargas with a very bad headache too. He thrashed and kicked for a few moments before he fell limp.

Nayni gently laid him on the ground and started pulling off his boots. His uniform wasn't exactly going to be the best fit but if she didn't mull around like an idiot hopefully no one would notice the short, middle-aged, chubby Altean woman that was bursting out of this guard's uniform. The assistant chimed to life again and Nayni rolled her eyes.

"Shall I inform Advisor Smythe that you have a guest waiting for him?" The AI asked.

Nayni tried to squeeze herself into the guard's pants and grunted.

"No thank you," Nayni said.

She hastily pulled on his shirt and buttoned it up. She deeply regretted the amount of sweets she consumed over the course of her life as she struggled with the buttons over her chest. She pulled on his helmet and tried to stuff her messy, tangled hair into it. Her fingers traced along the smooth handle of his blaster. She deployed his particle shield to test it out. The red shield erupted and lit up the room. She had all she needed now. But if she ran into a large group of guards she probably wouldn't do so well on her own.

Nayni peeked out the door and looked down the hallway. There weren't too many guards out and about but she still didn't want to doddle.

"Have a wonderful day, Misses Smythe," The AI chimed.

Nayni scowled.

"Shut your quiznack," Nayni said.

Nayni started making her way down the hallway. She walked at a brisk pace. She needed to move quickly but she couldn't draw attention to herself. She thought she was headed to where they were keeping her companions but she wasn't certain. Those memories were extremely foggy. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground as she passed by another guard.

She ran through her plan in her head. It was rough but there was a high probability that they'd need to adapt it to the ever-changing situation. She'd free her companions, get them to the armory so they could retrieve their weapons and then they'd make their way to the Red Lion. She fully expected for them to have to fight off some guards along the way. She desperately hoped The Advisor wouldn't end up getting involved. She'd only got a taste of what he could do and she didn't really want to see him in action.

Nayni made her way around a corner. The halls of this place were constructed so strangely. It was almost like navigating through some organic tunnel system that had been dug out by grubs. The ziplines and elevator shafts barely resembled the ones from the Castle she knew. The memories from her doppelganger were only remotely helpful with navigating this place. She tried to mask her confusion as best as she could. The helmet covering half of her face was very helpful with that endeavor.

She reached the doorway to the chamber that she suspected harbored her comrades. Nayni stared at the two guards flanking either side of it. She could either take them out or wait for the shifts to change. She had no idea how long of a wait that would be. Taking one guard by surprise hadn't taken much effort but two young, strong Alteans at full attention would be a whole other matter entirely. She'd had the security clearance to escape from her restraints and leave The Advisor's chambers. Maybe she had it to get into this holding room. If things didn't go very well she could always plant a blaster round in their faces.

Nayni strode up to the door. She tried to pretend that she'd done this thousands of times before. The guards still looked her up and down with a great deal of suspicion. Coran had actually been rather talented with handling moments like this. He'd been able to talk his way into any place back in the day. But he wasn't here to help her right now. The guards held out their hands to block Nayni from reaching the control panel by the door.

"What're you doing here?" One Guard pressed.

His voice was rather deep and intimidating but Nayni managed to keep her cool. Nayni put on her best scowl and folded her arms across her chest.

"How dare you question me!" Nayni snapped. "Don't you recognize me?"

They shouldn't but she was putting on her old Guard Captain act. Pretend to be tough and in charge and most people will just let you go on your way. The two guards looked at each other. It was difficult to read their expressions with their helmets on.

"Don't just stand around like a couple of idiots. Let me in!" Nayni insisted.

The doors slid open and the guards looked rather surprised. It appeared the voice recognition system did give her access to anywhere she pleased. Nayni hoped that the stupid AI wouldn't come blabbing over the intercoms again and announce to the entire vessel that she was running wild. She pushed past the guards before they got a chance to protest. The doors slid closed behind her and Nayni let out a sigh of relief.

The lights in the chamber flickered on. A sickly yellow hue was cast upon the room. Four of those sleep pods were placed around a metallic table in a circle. Three of them were filled with that transparent, viscous red fluid that she'd seen from the other Nayni's memories. Floating within the pods were her three companions. A bright lamp placed over the metallic table flickered on and revealed a wide array of rather frightful looking tools. Some of them were sharp curved blades, other's were jagged and covered with spikes. Some of them she didn't even recognize. None of them looked like they were meant to do anything pleasant.

"Misses Smythe, which prisoner will you be interrogating?" The AI asked.

Again, Nayni had no clue where this voice was being projected from. She looked at the pod where Lance was. He was wearing some kind of skin-tight outfit. It was all he had. Without his Paladin armor and bayard, they would be in a rather sticky situation. The boy looked like he was peacefully asleep but she imagined that's not how things had been when The Advisor was rooting around in his mind. Nayni walked up to the pod and placed her hand on the red barrier.

"Um-open up this pod please," Nayni asked.

She heard the sound of some mechanism beneath her feet whirring and clicking. The red fluid drained from the pod and rushed off to some unknown location through a system of tubes. Lance was coated with a thin film of the stuff by the time the pod had fully drained. The particle barrier disappeared and Lance stumbled out of the pod. He hunched over and gagged. Nayni wrinkled her nose as she watched him retch up a good portion of that red fluid.

Lance groaned. He clutched his head as if he had a throbbing headache. She hoped he hadn't endured that much torture but she couldn't see The Advisor being that merciful. Nayni knelt down and tried to wipe away some of the slime from the boy's face.

"Mister McClain!" Nayni said. "Are you all right?"

Lance finally looked up from the ground. He winced when the bright lights hit his eyes. Nayni ripped off her helmet and tossed it aside. She didn't want the first thing he saw to be something that would frighten him. It needed to be a familiar face. Lance blinked a few times and stared at her.

"Whoa—Nanny, how'd you get here?" Lance said weakly.

His voice sounded hoarse as if he'd been shouting a great deal. She rubbed his back to try and soothe him.

"It doesn't matter. We're getting out of here," Nayni assured.

She helped him get to his feet and scuttled over to Tomyko's pod. She looked like some kind of ocean goddess floating in that fluid with her hair spread out around her. Nayni's heart sank a little bit when she looked at her now. Tomyko had lied to them but only about the other Nayni. Why she'd claimed Nayni had died was a mystery to her. She hesitated in front of the pod.

Nayni and _her_ Tomyko had gone through similar difficulties in their marriage. But it had been Nayni who'd been the bossy and controlling one. Once she'd joined the Guardsmen all she did was worry about Tomyko. She kept begging for her wife to settle down on Altea. She was constantly worried that her glamorous redhead would catch the attention of someone who was far prettier and more charming than Nayni was. They'd ended up going to a Spiritualist. They'd worked through it and after that trial, their bond had been stronger than ever.

Nayni looked over the scar on _this_ Tomyko's nose. She'd never gotten the chance to repair her relationship with her wife. She felt a new connection to her now. The Advisor had probably expected Nayni to hate her after she'd found out the truth but the opposite had occurred. She felt sorry for her.

"I want to torture this one too," Nayni said.

"As you wish, Misses Smythe," the AI responded.

Lance's eyes widened as the mechanisms began to whir again and the fluid drained from Tomyko's pod.

He looked Nayni up and down and raised an eyebrow. Nayni just shrugged.

"It's a long story, I'll explain that bit later," Nayni said.

She scuttled over to Lotor's pod. Seeing him clad in that skin-tight outfit was a tad interesting. He was built rather nicely. She'd had some mixed feelings about him from the start but now she was even more confused. Lotor had spared her life. He may have just intended to use her as a pawn in the future but she wouldn't be standing here right now if it weren't for him. She wouldn't have been reunited with Coran and Allura. Lance shuffled over to her. He was clutching at his stomach and bore a grimace on his face.

"Are you thinking about leaving him?" Lance asked.

Nayni shook her head.

"No, I owe him," Nayni said. "Open the pod."

The AI responded again and started the process of releasing Lotor from his sleeping pod. Tomyko stumbled out of her pod. She started vomiting up the fluid just as Lance had. The slender woman had braced herself against a wall as the thick red slime rolled off of her body. Nayni was already trying to recall where the armory was. Maybe that's where they'd stashed the weapons and armor.

Red lights began to flash in the chamber. A high pitched siren began to blare. Tomyko looked up. Red hair clung to her face and her eyes widened in horror. Nayni's heart started racing.

"What's going on?" Nayni demanded.

The AI lowered the volume of the siren in the room. Nayni could still hear the muffled sound of it blaring in the hallway.

"Enemy combatants incoming," The AI said. "All crew members are to report to their battle stations."

A smirk spread across Nayni's round face. She'd been right. The Paladins had come for them and their timing couldn't have been any better.

* * *

Allura was piloting the Blue Lion through a barrage of laser fire. This entire sector of the star system was lit up like a supernova. Team Voltron had brought out all of the big guns for this mission. Allura had a fire in her belly. She was bound and determined to get to that Other Castle and get back the people she loved. Pidge's brother Matt was bracing himself on the back of her seat as the Blue Lion weaved its way through the battlefield.

She had originally intended to bring Pidge along but Shiro thought it was already a big enough risk to have two Paladins running around on that alien vessel. They were down a Lion too. They needed as many of them out in the thick of the fight as they could possibly get. Keith had offered to come along for rather morbid reasons. He wanted to be there in case someone needed to pilot the Red Lion. Allura wasn't willing to accept that possibility. She knew Lance was still alive. She could feel it. So Matt was along for the ride. If they needed to hack anything, he was pretty confident he'd be able to pull it off.

Laser rounds slammed into the scarlet particle barrier of the Other Castle. The protective shield wasn't flickering but it didn't possess the same brilliant aura that Allura had witnessed before. The Queen and her militia were still recovering from their brush with Zarkon's main fleet. She swung the Blue Lion around, she was doing her best to make this a stealthy approach. She watched a Terrapin dreadnought slam into one of the Queen's warships and smash its bow to pieces. Her allies just had to keep their enemies occupied long enough for Allura to break through the Other Castle's shield.

She disrupted the Queen's powers before and she knew she could do it again. She had to do it again. Coran hadn't wanted her to be the one but they both knew she was the best choice. She was the only one who could combat the Queen's powers. If things on the Other Castle were bad enough, Allura could shift her appearance to look like her enemy. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Drones poured forth from the Queen's warships and the Other Castle. None of them seemed to notice the presence of the Blue Lion growing ever closer to their capital ship. Matt leaned forward. He looked a bit nervous.

"I hope it's not as spooky on the inside as it looks from here," Matt said.

He was trying to lighten the mood and she did appreciate it. She made the Blue Lion hover a short distance from the particle barrier. It's red glow lit up the interior of the cockpit. Allura flexed her fingers as she gripped the yolk of the Lion.

"I'm going to need to concentrate for this so, please, try to keep quiet," Allura said.

Allura closed her eyes. She cleared her mind of all fear and doubt. She focused all of her energy on tearing open a hole in the Other Castle's particle barrier. She furrowed her brow and her stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots. She envisioned the tear splitting apart the scarlet barrier. She felt that energy weaken. A hole just large enough for the Blue Lion to pass through split open the shield. Allura pushed forward on the controls and plunged the Lion towards it.

Matt clung to her seat as they soared through the narrow passage. It felt completely wrong to be approaching like this. Allura was heading for where she suspected the hangar to be. If this vessel was anything like the one she'd come to know so well, they wouldn't have too much trouble navigating it. The entrance to the hangar looked more like the mouth of a beast than an artificially constructed opening. Landing in this massive strange structure was not a pleasant experience.

Allura tried to land the Blue Lion as delicately as she could. She knew it was likely that the Queen had already detected her presence. It was just another reason to try and get to Lance and Nanny as soon as they possibly could. Allura grabbed her bayard and they quickly made their way out of the Lion. Matt had already pulled up the small computer interface on his wrist. He looked over the hangar and seemed incredibly shaken.

"This place looks like something from a Lovecraft story," Matt said.

Allura had no idea what that meant but she wasn't going to inquire about it during a time like this. They ran up to what looked like a control panel near a door. Matt held up the orange screen of his interface and started typing.

"Hopefully the translator program works with these- _other_ Alteans," Matt said.

Allura hovered closely to him. Her eyes were locked on the white text that was scrolling across the orange display. Matt squinted his eyes and paused. He pointed to a name on the screen with a puzzled look.

"Wait, is that _Granny_?" Matt asked.

" _Nanny_ ," Allura corrected.

She leaned in closer and looked at the name. _Nayni Nordontu Smythe_ was not the name she had expected to see on the list. But it was the closest thing that Allura could see. That little discovery was something that would have to be discussed later. Allura nodded to Matt and he tapped on the name. A freshly downloaded map and a small tracking program appeared on his interface. A cluster of white dots was moving down a hallway. Allura grinned. She'd half expected to find them all stagnant, in a cell block, but she wasn't surprised to see that they'd figured out some way to escape.

"Let's go," Allura said.

Allura and Matt darted down the hallway. She held her bayard at the ready. Thankfully, it appeared that most of the crew members were occupied with the intense battle that was going on outside. Matt's gaze kept flickering between the map on his interface and the stretch of hallway in front of them. Allura was so desperate to get to them. She just wanted to see Nanny and Lance's faces. She wanted to see them unharmed and safe with her own eyes. The boots of her Paladin armor slipped on the sleek surface of the floor.

Matt directed them around which corners to take. Their comrades were moving just as quickly as they were. Matt's fingers scrolled through his interface as he ran after Allura.

"It seems like they know where they're going," Matt panted. "How could they though?"

Allura skidded around a corner.

"Tomyko's probably been here before," Allura said.

It didn't really matter. Nothing mattered to her right now except getting to them. She was getting closer to them. She didn't need Matt to tell her that. Allura could almost feel them. She could hear the sound of fighting going on the down the hall. Her heart started racing. Matt turned off his interface and reached for the blaster on his hip. Allura held out her bayard, ready to deploy her chainwhip as soon as they came upon the enemy.

Laser rounds were bouncing off of the walls. Nanny had a red particle shield deployed and a guard pushed up against the wall. Lance was clad in his Paladin armor, as he fired into the group of guards. Allura threw out her chainwhip. It wrapped around the neck of one of the guards and she yanked him forward. Lotor ran his sword through the restrained guard and flashed his silver grin at Allura. Matt and Tomyko fired their blasters. It was a scene of violent chaos.

Allura kept extending her chainwhip to help wrangle up stray guards so her comrades could pick them off. By the time it was done, Allura was desperately trying to catch her breath. Nanny's typically neatly styled hair was a mess and the red uniform she'd hijacked was drenched in sweat.

"Lurie! Are you all right?" Nanny asked.

Allura just smiled. Of course, that's all Nanny would be concerned about. Lance was shocked to see her. He even looked a tad angry. Allura just grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug. She could feel the Blue Paladin stiffen a bit before he relaxed. Nanny raised an eyebrow and had the tiniest of smirks on her face. Lotor sighed and brushed a strand of silver hair away from his lavender face.

"These happy reunions are lovely but we should probably focus on getting out of here," Lotor said.

Nanny furrowed her brow. She looked back down the hallway. Allura rested her hand on Nanny's shoulder. She looked down at her guardian and could just tell that something was weighing heavily on her.

"Nanny, what is it?" Allura pressed.

It looked like Nanny was wrestling with some great problem in her head. Allura knew they'd probably been through a lot but Nanny didn't look afraid. Her state of distress seemed to be due to something else.

"I'm sorry, Lurie, but there's something I need to take care of before we depart," Nanny said.

Lance was quite taken aback.

"Uhh-sorry, Nanny, but we kind of need to haul ass," Lance said.

Nanny shook her head. She was a stubborn woman. Nothing was going to stop her. It didn't feel right to Allura but if Nanny wanted this that badly she was going to help her. Lotor appeared to be more than a little annoyed by the situation.

"And what is the pressing reason that has you wanting to stay on this cesspool?" Lotor sighed.

Nanny just ignored him. She looked up at Allura. She seemed to be silently pleading with the Princess. Allura wanted to whisk them away back to their Castle but she couldn't take seeing Nanny like this. If she had unfinished business she needed to take care of, then they'd deal with it. Allura sighed.

"All right, let's take care of it- quickly," Allura pressed.

"Thank you, Lurie," Nanny murmured.

She darted down the hallway. Lance and Lotor still did not seem eager to be heading back further into the vessel. Nanny led the way. She raced down the hallway with such determination. She seemed to know exactly where she was going too. Allura was hot on her heels. The same deep instinct that had driven Allura to them was pushing Nanny forward now. Nanny led them through the labyrinth of intricate hallways.

They finally came upon a massive set of doors. They seemed to be decorated in whatever twisted sense of fashion that these _other_ Alteans possessed. Nanny stared up at the doors. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to catch her breath. Allura wanted to ask her what was going on but she didn't think now was the time. This didn't seem like something Nanny wanted to talk about. Maybe later she'd open up about it but for now, Allura just wanted this to be finished so they could make their escape. Lotor let out another overdramatic groan of frustration.

"Why must we doddle?" Lotor pressed.

Nanny scowled.

"Shut up, you bunghopper," Nanny snapped.

The Guard Captain looked to Tomyko. Her ears drooped.

"I just want Tomyko to come with me," Nanny said.

Allura's heart skipped a beat. She didn't want to leave her alone again. She didn't know what was behind that set of elaborate doors.

"Are you sure?" Allura asked.

Nanny sighed.

"Just let me do this my way, Lurie," Nanny pressed.

Allura recoiled. She didn't like it at all but she wasn't going to argue. They didn't have time to argue. Nanny stepped forward and leaned in towards a control panel.

"Let me in, please," Nanny said into the speaker.

A robotic voice seemed to emanate from the air itself.

"As you wish, Misses Smythe," the AI said.

Hearing that sent a chill down Allura's spine. The doors to the chamber slid open. All that Allura could see beyond was darkness. Nanny looked to Tomyko. There was so much pity in the Guard Captain's eyes.

"Come on, Tomyko," Nanny pleaded.

Tomyko hesitated. She looked absolutely terrified. Tomyko looked over all of their faces. It looked like she was silently asking for one of them to step in. Tomyko finally relented. She approached Nanny, clutching her blaster. Allura felt a crushing sense of dread come over her as she watched the two Alteans step into the darkness.

* * *

Tomyko could feel the energy radiating from this room. She knew who it belonged to. She didn't need Nayni to tell her. When the doors slid closed behind them she felt like a space mouse trapped in a cage. Dim red lights flickered on and Tomyko saw Nayni hovering in front of another door. This other Nayni was nothing like the one Tomyko had known. She was rough and grumpy just like Tomyko was. She wasn't the delicate beautiful woman that Tomyko had come to love. Seeing that round olive face was still an agonizing reminder.

Tomyko crept towards the door. She had no idea what lay beyond it but something just felt horribly familiar about it. Nayni looked up at her. Her expression wasn't grim or angry. She looked sad. She was looking at Tomyko with such ruth.

"I won't tell the others that you lied," Nayni said.

Tomyko's heart sank. Somehow, Nayni had found out. Tomyko wanted to feel something. She wanted to feel some form of remorse but she couldn't. After all of these years of pain and suffering all she'd been able to cling to was that lie. The truth hurt too much to accept.

"Why did you say she was dead?" Nayni asked.

Tomyko stared off into space. She could still see her wife dancing in her head. She could still see the frilly and lacy pink dress that she'd worn at their wedding. She could still see that smile on her round face, full of desire and hope. Tomyko's bottom lip started to tremble.

"It _felt_ like she died that day," Tomyko said. "It felt like I died that day too."

She'd thought Nayni should've been angry. She expected her to be angry. Tomyko would've been angry if someone had lied to her like this. But Nayni didn't fly into a rage. She didn't look like she felt betrayed. It looked like Nayni understood.

"You and I are very alike," Nayni confessed. "At least from what I saw."

Tomyko's hand was shaking. She stared at the blaster in her grasp.

"She's in there," Nayni said. "She's floating in one of those pods like some trinket on display."

Tomyko felt sick. She'd expected her Nayni to be gone by now. After all those years, her wife must've passed on. But she was still here. She finally felt the tears starting to come. Tomyko took a deep breath. She didn't want to cry in front of this woman. As familiar as her face was, it would be like falling apart in front of a stranger.

"Was she happy?" Tomyko gasped.

Nayni was starting to tear up too. She stared at the floor and nodded.

"For a time," Nayni said. "He wouldn't let her slip away at the end. Even though it was what she wanted."

Tomyko just nodded. The tears were rolling down her slender face. The Advisor had given her Nayni something that Tomyko hadn't been able to. She didn't know what exactly but if he'd made her happy that's all that mattered. As much as Tomyko despised him, as much as she wanted to see him lying in a pool of his own blood, she still was grateful to him for that. Tomyko's marriage had fallen apart. It had been slow and painful but it had been due to her paranoia. She knew that. She just wished she'd told Nayni. She desperately wished she could've held her wife one more time and told her she was sorry. She wanted to tell her that she never stopped loving her.

Nayni patted Tomyko on the back. She was trying to hold back tears too.

"She wants to die," Nayni said. "She doesn't want to be trapped like this."

Tomyko took in a breath. She felt like her throat was closing up. She couldn't hold back the sobs anymore.

"It should be me," Tomyko choked. "I should do it. I owe this to her."

Nayni nodded. Tomyko had this blaster. She could make it quick. She could make it easy and painless.

"As soon as that door opens, _he'll_ come," Tomyko said. "He'll kill anyone that he comes across."

Nayni seemed to know it too.

"All of you should go," Tomyko went on. "I'll stay. I'll take care of her."

Nayni stiffened. She couldn't look Tomyko in the eye. She knew what this meant. They both knew what this meant.

"He'll kill you," Nayni said.

There hadn't been a need for her to say it. Tomyko smiled weakly and looked down at Nayni. She'd hoped to see her wife like this. She'd hoped to see the spread of those crow's feet and worry lines. She'd hoped to grow old with her but she'd robbed herself of that opportunity. The Advisor had gotten that blessing. It appeared he hadn't cherished it. Even he was too greedy in the end.

"I always knew this was going to end with me dying," Tomyko said. "I just didn't think I'd get the chance to make things right with her."

They both stared at that door. That solid slab of black metal was taunting her. Behind that door was all Tomyko had ever wanted. Behind that door was the fire that had fueled her to fight. Her failure had been immense and it had been bitter but this was her chance to finally redeem herself.

"I know your Voltron can stop them. Promise me you'll bring an end to this, once and for all," Tomyko said.

Nayni nodded.

"I'll do it forher _and_ for you," Nayni said.

Tomyko took in several deep breaths. She rocked back and forth. This was it. This was how it was going to end. Fate had brought her here. Some unknown power was giving her a second chance. Tomyko shuddered as more tears ran down her face. Nayni looked up at the ceiling. She opened her mouth but hesitated.

"Open the door," Nayni said. "And deactivate the hibernation pod."

"As you wish, Misses Smythe," the AI chimed.

Tomyko was shaking. She bit down on her bottom lip as the door slowly slid open.

"Go," Tomyko murmured.

Nayni hesitated for barely a moment. She finally tore her gaze away from Tomyko and sprinted back to the hallway.

Time seemed to slow. It was as if eons were slipping by as that door slid open. Tomyko's knees quivered. She could barely command herself to walk forward. The alarm system continued to blare. It was so deafening that Tomyko couldn't hear the commotion going on outside. She watched the red viscous fluid drain from the hibernation pod. Her Nayni looked like a withered doll. She was so frail. But she was still so breathtakingly beautiful.

Tomyko caught the delicate old Altean in her arms. She watched the red fluid slowly pour out of the corner of her mouth. Tears rolled down Tomyko's cheeks as she cradled her wife in her arms. By now, Nayni and the others would be running down the halls. They would be pushing for the hangar as quickly as their legs could carry them. Her Nayni's eyes fluttered open. The violet orbs didn't hold the same twinkle that they used to.

"Tomyko," Her Nayni croaked.

Tomyko cupped her round face in her hands. The Advisor was coming. With every tik that slipped by he was drawing closer. Tomyko smiled. She could barely make out the image of her wife's face through all the tears.

"I'm so sorry-I failed you," Tomyko sobbed.

Her Nayni reached up weakly. Her bony finger traced along the hem of Tomyko's sleeve. Her thin, wrinkled lips parted. Her chest rose and fell as she struggled to breathe.

"I forgive you," Her Nayni whispered. But please-"

Tomyko nodded.

"I know, my love," Tomyko said.

She could hear the sound of the ornate doors sliding open. Tomyko pressed the barrel of the blaster to her Nayni's forehead. The gun trembled with the uncontrollable shaking of her slender hands. Tomyko closed her eyes. A wave of sobs wracked her body as she pulled the trigger. Her wife's body fell limp. The Advisor's cry sounded as if it was a million miles away. A smile spread across her face. She felt the warm relief of peace finally come to her. And when The Advisor wrapped his cold hands around her delicate neck, she felt no pain.


	31. Case Of The Ex

Coran watched the Lions and their allies rip through the Queen's militia as if it was nothing. He was too wary to celebrate a victory just yet. He'd seen this enemy open a rift to their reality to bring in more troops enough times now. He wasn't going to relax until Nayni and Lance were standing next to him again on this bridge. The Castle shook as the particle barrier took another hit. Coran braced himself on the main control panel. The star system looked like it had been overrun with chaos. Explosions and lasers of every conceivable color and origin flooded the battlefield.

He was poised and ready to make the jump out of here as soon as they could. He watched the Lions flying amidst the raging battle. Coran could barely focus on operating the Castle's defenses. He kept fixating on Allura and Nayni. They were on that cursed vessel with Lance. Until he heard the Princess's voice come over the communication channels he would not be at ease. Everything was being put on the line. Everything he held dear was at risk.

Coran typed into the control panel and set up his targeting parameters once again. All he wanted to do was tear the Other Castle in half. He wanted to rip it to shreds but that wasn't their goal today. He was letting his connection to Nayni overwhelm his logic. He didn't regret what had happened on the Terrapin shores. He never would. It was a struggle to fight that unrelenting need to protect her but he had to do it. He couldn't cave to those powerful emotions and throw caution to the wind.

Nayni had lost that battle. That's the only reason he could come up with for her running off like she did. It had been devastating and terrifying but he couldn't be angry with her. He just wanted her back. He waved his hand across the control panel. The Castle's defenses fired off their blue lasers. Clusters of the Queen's drones went up in flames.

When the Red and Blue Lion flew into view, Coran thought his heart stopped for a tik. He couldn't help but laugh. The relief of seeing them felt so good he could cry. He stared at the communications monitor with great anticipation. His listened to the muffled sounds of the explosions from the battle going on around him. The silence on the bridge only made the wait that much more torturous. The Blue Lion swooped around one of the Queen's dreadnoughts and fired off its ice beam.

"Coran! We made!" Allura's voice crackled over the transmitter. "-but we're short one person."

Coran felt a twinge of panic. Allura didn't hesitate to explain herself. The Princess was wise enough to know his anxiety would be through the roof right now.

"Tomyko didn't make it," Allura said over the transmitter.

Coran's ears drooped. That Tomyko hadn't been Nayni's real wife but he imagined his lover would still be distraught right now. Tomyko had been their only ally from that other reality. Now she was gone. Her time with them had been brief and it hadn't exactly been pleasant but Coran still mourned her. That woman had fought as ferociously as they all had for freedom. She'd given her life for it.

He started working the controls in order to prep the Teludav for a jump. They'd have to open a pretty massive wormhole to get all of their troops out safely. He leaned over to the communications panel and hit the transmit button.

"Everyone, get ready to retreat, we've secured the payload," Coran said.

He watched their ships starting to pull back. They couldn't wait around. They needed to make this jump as soon as possible. They didn't want to deal with a rift opening up amidst all of this destruction. The Lions started rushing back to the Castle. Coran adjusted the various dials and switches on the control panel. He could already hear the familiar hum of the Teludav powering up. The forces of the Coalition started to gather around the Castle. He kept his gaze fixated on the screen that was monitoring the status of the hangar.

He was bracing himself for a rift to open. He was waiting for the Other Castle to do anything. They continued to fire off their minimal defenses. It didn't seem right. It didn't seem like them. They had been so thirsty for blood before. Why would they hold back now? He could hear the sound of the Teludav powering up. Coran glanced over at the monitor and saw all the Lions had returned to the hangar. He gripped onto the control panel as he watched the massive blue beam fire off into the battlefield and rip open a wormhole.

Coran watched all of their allied forces dive into the wormhole before he pushed forward on the Castle's throttle. He dove the sleek white vessel into the portal. As he steered the Castle through the violet tunnel, he felt his doubt fading away. They'd done it. They'd pieced back together their family. Their enemy had seen what they were capable of now. The violet lightning lashed out from the wall of the portal and danced across the surface of the Castle.

The Castle emerged from the other end of the wormhole and the portal closed behind them. The Terrapin vessels were already puttering around the empty sector when the Castle emerged. The boxy rebel ships were regrouping and the Blades ships were lingering on the backlines. The system was quiet and empty. It was only occupied by a small planet without sentient life and it's two tiny moons. Twinkling stars dotted the inky abyss that surrounded them.

He couldn't wait any longer. Now that his job was done, Coran couldn't be stopped. He abandoned his post and headed for the hangar. He didn't want to think about what his loved ones had gone through on that vessel. He couldn't imagine what horrors they'd seen. Coran just hoped that they were okay. He wasn't just concerned about their physical well being. They'd already been through so much. Lance had nearly died once before and acted as if it hadn't bothered him but Coran knew that memory still scarred him.

He believed Nayni was strong but he'd watched her grief consume her for years. As tough as that woman was, she would stuff down her emotions and let them slowly eat away at her. He couldn't let that happen to her again. He wouldn't allow it. The journey to the hangar felt like it was the most arduous and long trek that Coran had ever endured. He kept fidgeting on the elevator. His heart was racing. He just wanted to see them. He just wanted to hold them.

Coran practically clawed his way out of the elevator when it finally got to the hangar. The Lions were all where they were meant to be. Everything was as it should be. The Paladins had already gathered around. Lance was already being engulfed in a massive group hug. Hunk was ruffling Lance's brown hair. It looked like the slender Blue Paladin was trying to fight back tears. Allura was clutching his hand and it didn't appear that she would be letting go anytime soon. Matt was eyeing Lotor suspiciously as the Galra Prince exited the Red Lion.

Nayni was stumbling away from the Blue Lion. She looked as if she'd been tossed into a black hole and emerged from the other end. Her eyes flickered over to him. She was about to lose it. He could sense it. Coran rushed to her side. He scooped her up in his arms. Coran buried his face in her tangled hair and relished her scent. She smelled absolutely dreadful but he didn't care. It didn't take long for the rest of the Paladins to pile on too. The weight of them all was crushing the two of them but Coran was so overwhelmed with happiness that it didn't matter.

He could feel Nayni trembling. She wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she was crying. It was so unlike her. Lotor rolled his eyes and scoffed with disgust.

"Enjoy your nauseating reunion," Lotor sighed. "I desperately require a shower."

The Paladins started peeling off as Lotor made his exit. Shiro cleared his throat and folded his arms across his chest. Nayni held up her hand in protest before he could even speak.

"No, I won't have a peep out of you," Nayni said.

She sounded so exhausted. She kept clinging to Coran. He felt like he was the only thing that was keeping her on her feet.

"I'm going to need a bit of rest before we get back to business, Shiro," Nayni pleaded.

The Black Paladin just smiled. He looked over everyone's faces and nodded.

"I think we all need to recover from this one," Shiro began. "-but we shouldn't wait around for this debriefing."

Lance groaned. Some weird red substance was making his hair stick out in every direction.

"Dude, you can wait to hear about the Devil Castle after I've had a shower and a solid twelve hours of sleep," Lance said.

Coran could feel that Nayni was still shaking. Now that he'd seen them, now that he'd felt them again, he just wanted to whisk her away. He wanted to take all her pain away again. There were a hundred other things he'd need to attend to now but all of it would have to wait. He wanted some kind of explanation from her but she looked so exhausted. She looked so drained. And there was the matter of Tomyko. He knew she'd need to talk about that.

He leaned over and brushed some of her frizzy hair away from her face. When she looked up at him, Coran thought she was going to cry again. They watched the Paladins splitting off. Their chatter wasn't the excited type. They seemed weary from the battle but curious to find out the full scope of what they'd all just been through. Allura managed to catch his attention. The Princess just gave him a nod. She'd brought Nayni back to him. That girl was still performing miracles, just like her father had.

Coran started to lead Nayni back towards the elevator. She was dragging her feet. She remained silent until they got back to the elevator. He watched the sleek metallic doors close. The blue lights of the elevator's interior illuminated and the platform began to rise. She squeezed his hand even more tightly. Her bottom lip was already trembling. Coran just pulled her closer to him. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. He cupped her face with his hand. He took in a deep breath.

The palms of his hands began to radiate with the blue glow of his quintessence. He let out a gasp as he took in some of her pain. The sudden rush of agony and sorrow flooded through him and he felt as if he couldn't breathe. Coran didn't know what she'd seen yet but he could feel its effects. It was like someone was holding a knife to his throat. The blue lights of the elevator shaft flashed by as they ascended through the Castle. He felt the tips of his fingers tingle with warmth as he poured as much comfort and love into her as he possibly could. He would never let her part ways with him ever again. He never wanted her to experience such agony for the rest of their days.

* * *

She stood before the hatch to the airlock. Nayni looked out through the thick glass of the window at the orange and pink nebula. It had been Tomyko's favorite. Nayni had just guessed that this was where she'd want to be. She stared at the powder pink urn that she was clutching in her hands. She still couldn't believe it. This was all that was left of her wife. She could still taste her last kiss on her lips. She could still smell Tomyko's perfume. She could still feel the warmth of her hands. Things had been going so well. There had been so much hope for the future.

Tomyko's little brother, Tomio, cleared his throat. Nayni could barely understand how they were actually related. He was so unlike his sister. He was still an adolescent so he was very awkward. He was a lanky redhead and was just on the cusp of manhood. Tomyko's parents were hovering behind him. They hadn't been able to look Nayni in the eye since the news had broken. They'd given her a hug at the funeral but that had been it.

Nayni's own parents were by her side. Her mother was already sobbing again and dabbing at her cheek with a handkerchief. Her father just stood there, cold and stoic, with his thick strong hand on her shoulder. He had been the first person she'd contacted. It had been just dobashes after Fragnar had visited her in person at her tiny apartment. Nayni had felt so numb. She'd sat on their living room couch, surrounded by their photos. Images of the two of them smiling and exploring the universe together were plastered all over the walls. Those smiling images of her wife became too much to bear. Nayni had tossed them all into a box. That box was still sitting in her closet.

She'd called her father on the telecoms like a child. She'd stared at the orange display waiting for him to answer her. When Nayni had heard his gruff voice on the other end all she could do was weakly stammer _Papa_. She was soaking up his strength like a sponge now. The funeral had been hard but this was so much worse. This was supposed to be the actual goodbye. There was so much more finality to this. She was going to release Tomyko's ashes out to this nebula and that would be that. All Nayni would have left of her wife was memories.

Tomyko's father, Tomatsu, sighed. His golden hair was so pale it was almost white.

"Take your time," Tomatsu reassured. "If you need a dobash, we can step out."

He'd always been very kind to her. He'd gotten rather drunk at their wedding and had gone on and on about how beautiful they looked together. Nayni's mother just broke down sobbing even more hysterically.

"Moreya, please," Nayni's father said.

Mother had always been this way. She cried at every Nameday party, she cried at weddings, she cried at bad teledramas. Her response to everything was tears. Kyo crept over to Mother. She looked so much like her daughter, it was a bit jarring to see now. Nayni had found it to be rather sweet when she'd first met Tomyko's parents. Now, she could barely look at that woman's face. Her resemblance to Tomyko was just too much to handle. Nayni took after her father. She'd run around that rural town and everyone knew she was Nacio's girl. Kyo whispered something to Mother and Nayni watched the two of them slink away out of the room.

Now that she didn't have Mother's sobbing to listen to, the silence of the room was overwhelming. She was just standing in her uniform with that silken pink sash and staring at the urn that held her wife's remains. Father had cried twice in Nayni's entire life. He'd cried the day she'd left for bootcamp and he cried when she told him that Tomyko was gone. _You're too young to be a widow, my sweetbean._ Everyone had been telling Nayni how she should be feeling. It's all anyone would say to her. They'd give her their condolences and then try to give her some shallow piece of advice. None of it helped.

No matter what anyone did or said, Nayni just felt so numb. She'd put all this work in. She'd worked so hard to become a better person for Tomyko. All of that hard work had finally been paying off. They were arguing less. Tomyko had been smiling more. Nayni could see that smile in her head. That smile could light up an entire room. Nayni ran her thumb over the smooth curve of the urn. It felt so cold.

Nayni took a deep breath and stepped forward. She set the tiny urn down on the floor. She walked back to the control panel. She pulled the lever and the interior door of the airlock closed. She looked through the peephole and saw Tomyko's urn just sitting in the middle of the airlock. It looked so small and lonely. Tomio shifted on his feet.

"Do you-uh-want to say something?" Tomio asked.

Nayni shrugged. She'd given her eulogy at the funeral. She'd made that entire speech without batting an eye but the entire room was sniffling and sobbing by the end of it. Nayni hadn't been able to find it within herself to cry. Nayni's hand hovered over the control panel. As soon as she touched this button, the airlock would open and that urn would be sucked out into space. It would be so quick. Tomatsu patted Nayni on the back.

"It's okay to cry," Tomatsu said. "We're all family here."

She'd heard that line dozens of times now. She wanted to cry. She really did but it just wouldn't come. Nayni could feel that agony. She felt like her heart had been ripped out but she couldn't cry. It still all felt so unreal. She walked around during the day and things seemed normal. People still went to work, they still played with their children, they still went home at night and had pleasant dreams. Nayni would go home to her bed. She'd look over to the spot where Tomyko would sleep when she was on leave. Nayni hadn't washed the sheets. There were still stray strands of Tomyko's long red hair clinging to her pillow.

Nayni pressed the button on the control panel. The exterior door swung open. Nayni watched Tomyko's urn fly out into space. It jettisoned out into the vacuum. Nayni watched the pink ceramic urn tumble through space. For a moment she felt her bottom lip starting to tremble. She felt like maybe the tears would finally come but they didn't. Her eyes remained dry and she still felt such numbness. Tomio buried his face in his hands. His shoulders shuddered as he sobbed quietly. Tomatsu fought back his tears as he ushered his son out of the room.

It was just Father with her now. Nayni watched the shape of the urn grow smaller and smaller as it drifted farther away from the ship. In a few tiks, she wouldn't be able to see it anymore. She watched it float away until it looked like nothing but a small pink orb. It wasn't long after that when she couldn't tell what was the urn or what was a far-off star. Nayni tore her gaze away from that quiznacking nebula. She looked at the over polished tips of her boots.

Father wrapped his arm around her. He wasn't much taller than her but he felt so much stronger. He stroked her hair like he did when she was a little girl. Father planted little kisses on the side of her head and Nayni felt the sorrow come over her like a thick blanket. Her shoulders drooped and she started shaking her head.

"Papa," Nayni said.

He wrapped his thick arms around her. He still smelled like the farm. He smelled like the rich black soil and the dried yellow hay that he fed to the bovidaes. Nacio had shown Tomyko around the homestead when Nayni had finally brought her to meet her parents. Tomyko had been very particular about keeping her clothes clean but she'd trudged through the thick mud and petted the soft snouts of the plump bovidae anyway. She'd been so excited. She'd gotten mud all over her favorite pair of trousers but she hadn't seemed to care.

Father kept holding her more tightly. It was as if he was trying to squeeze the pain and grief out of her. She rested her head against his. She could hear the sound of him wheezing. She thought he might start crying too.

"Listen to me, sweetbean," Nacio whispered.

Her father's grip on her was very firm. He'd held her like this when she was a child and she'd done something bad and he was about to explain to her what she'd done wrong. He always gave her that firm grip on the shoulders when he was about to give her a little piece of wisdom. He furrowed his brow and the deep-set wrinkles branched out across his forehead.

"Everybody has been telling you how to feel, yes?" Nacio asked.

Nayni just nodded.

"Quiznack them," Nacio said.

Nayni actual snorted. It felt wrong to laugh. It felt completely wrong to feel anything at all.

"Don't let anybody tell you when it's going to feel better," Nacio said. "They don't know you the way that you do. You know whats right for you. Only you can know that. You cry when you want to cry. You don't even have to cry if you don't feel like it."

He cupped her round face in his hands. His hands were rough and callused from the years he'd spent farming.

"Whatever you want to do, whatever you need to do—I'm here for you," Nacio said.

He was the only one that made her feel even remotely hopeful. Nayni looked back out at the nebula. It was so breathtaking. The mixture of pink and orange hues floating together with the sparkling stars was so ethereal and beautiful. She knew exactly why Tomyko loved the sight of it.

"I don't know what to do, Papa," Nayni confessed. "I don't know how I'm supposed to keep living."

He squeezed her tightly again. If she was still a little girl, she knew he'd just scoop her up in his arms and carry her over his shoulder like she was a sack of grain.

"It's okay not to know, sweetbean," Nacio said. "You'll figure out how to go about it eventually. It won't be easy. Life is messy. Life is complicated. But I believe in you."

Tomyko had been everything to Nayni. Her entire existence had revolved around this woman and now she was just some ashes floating around in space. Any goals she'd set for herself all dealt with Tomyko. All of her hopes for the future were tied up with that glamorous, powerful woman. She didn't even know where to begin without that now. She had no direction. She didn't have the slightest inkling of what to do. Everything just hurt.

She thought about what Tomyko would've wanted. The redhead would've turned to her and told her to go out tonight and hit on the most attractive person in the room. Nayni couldn't do that. She couldn't imagine doing that ever again. The idea of even finding someone else attractive seemed so impossible. Tomyko would've wanted Nayni to traverse the universe and see thousands of foreign worlds. She would've wanted her to go out and taste every exotic food she possibly could.

Nayni wasn't brave enough to do such things by herself. Tomyko had opened Nayni up to a whole new world of possibilities. She didn't know how to discover these things by herself anymore. She didn't even think she'd be able to function on a day to day basis anymore. The universe was huge and it was brimming with endless opportunities and possibilities but she couldn't think of a single one that appealed to her. But Tomyko wouldn't want Nayni to just lie down and give up. So all Nayni could do was just keep going forward even if she didn't have the slightest idea where that would get her.

* * *

They had been lying in bed for a varga or two. Neither of them could sleep. Coran had put on a lighthearted teledrama on the monitor above their bed but the footage was so dilapidated that it was barely watchable. Nayni had just been clinging to him like a scared child. She hadn't uttered a word yet. She'd just been lying here with her head on his chest and relishing the feeling of his warmth. She hadn't known what to feel after she left Tomyko in The Advisor's chambers.

She'd huddled on the Blue Lion with Allura and hadn't uttered a word then either. Leaving Tomyko like that, to face her death, dug up such old ugly feelings for Nayni. That woman had never been her wife. She was nothing like her but seeing her face had been hard. Witnessing the sorrow in her eyes and the calm acceptance of her fate was heart-wrenching. They may not have gotten along very well but they shared a connection. They'd both lost their spouse and it had changed them forever.

Nayni finally sat up. She could feel Coran's gentle touch on her arm. Nayni reached for the downturned photo of her and Tomyko. She stared at the smiling faces on the glossy piece of paper. After all these years, it felt as if Nayni had barely spent a dobash with that woman. It had been a short cluster of years that had carried so much weight for her. The love that they'd shared had stuck with Nayni forever. _Her_ Tomyko had been gone for thousands of years. She was such a distant memory. Her ghost was so far away but after everything that had just happened, all of that pain had come rushing back to the surface.

Nayni propped the photo back up. She leaned back against Coran's firm body. She felt him nuzzle his face next to hers. He was such a polar opposite to The Advisor. He was so warm and gentle. He wasn't twisted, cold and cruel. He wasn't going to push her to talk. She knew he wouldn't. He'd drawn the emotions from her on the elevator. Coran knew exactly the conflict within her but he didn't know exactly what had come to pass.

Nayni wanted to share it with him. She knew this would all come up during the briefing. She wanted the first time he heard it to be in private. She could see such love in his eyes and she knew there was nothing to fear with him.

"I saw myself on that Castle," Nayni said.

Coran took her hand in his. She could tell he was in a mild state of shock. He would be the only one to hear this part. She wanted to keep her promise to Tomyko in some capacity. Coran furrowed his brow.

"But Tomyko said she was dead," Coran said.

Nayni just nodded. Nayni traced her thumb along the surface of his knuckles.

"That was the only part she wasn't honest about," Nayni explained. "Everything else she told us was the truth."

Nayni rested her head on his chest. She felt him nestle his chin atop her head. She felt like they fit together like a puzzle piece. Though she was a significantly shorter and chubbier puzzle piece.

"The Advisor showed me what happened," Nayni said. "I didn't see everything but I saw enough."

The other Nayni's memories were dancing through her head again. She wanted to tear them from her mind. They were too confusing to hold onto. Her life had been filled with violence and cruelty but it had also been filled with such passion. It was a contradiction that was hard for Nayni to process. As painful as they were, they held a great deal of information. They would need that moving forward.

Coran wrapped his arms around her. It was like being snuggled up in a warm blanket. She felt like the monsters couldn't get to her now. She wanted to tell him but it was so difficult. She took a moment to collect her thoughts.

"He was just an ordinary man," Nayni said. "That's what was the most frightening part of it all. He was just a quiet man with the same concerns and hopes as the average person. They both were."

Coran let out a sigh. It was as if he'd had this conversation a thousand times before. She understood why. Zarkon and Honerva had seemed so ordinary. Yes, Honerva had been a brilliant Alchemist and Zarkon had been the first Black Paladin but, they had started off with the same good intentions. And then they too had been transformed into something so unnatural and monstrous. Coran tilted his head. He looked like the familiar scenario was just a regrettable trivial fact. He didn't' seem disturbed in the slightest.

"We like to pretend that the universe operates in simple terms of black and white," Coran said. "But you and I know better than anyone that it's not true. Alfor was the evil one in Zarkon's eyes. But they were both just leaders trying to protect their people. They were both men just trying to protect the ones they loved."

Nayni thought about the image of The Advisor carrying his Allura into the rift. It was such an eerily similar scenario but the faces had been so much more familiar.

"All it takes is just one incident," Nayni said. "Any wrong turn, any random twist of fate and we could become someone like that."

Coran shook his head. Nayni shifted so she could look him in the eye. He was actually smiling. They were having such a grim talk and he was radiating with such light. His eyes seemed to be sparkling.

"That's not true," Coran said. "We all can make a choice."

He truly believed what he was saying. The Advisor had shaken Nayni. He'd toyed with her emotions and she didn't know what was true and real. But listening to Coran, hearing his sincerity, it was bringing back all of her hope.

"Allura could've given up. We could've sent the Paladins on their way and spent the rest of our lives hiding," Coran said. "But she chose to keep fighting. Zarkon had taken over almost the entire universe but even that wasn't going to stop her. It wasn't going to stop us. We had to restore peace. We had to bring back balance to the universe."

Nayni felt like she was going to cry again. That girl had been thrust into a world of darkness and loss. This group of teenagers had come together under her leadership and they'd made such a difference. They'd freed countless people from Zarkon's grasp. They were chipping away at his empire built on the backs of slaves and bloodshed. They had accomplished all of this and they were just children in Nayni's eyes. Voltron was just a tool for them to use. They had done this all out of their own selflessness. They'd sacrificed everything for this cause.

She held Coran's face in her hands. They'd kept one of the most precious things in the universe safe. They'd kept Coran alive so she could get back to him. They'd pulled her from that sleep chamber and given her another chance with him.

"You're right," Nayni stammered.

She hesitated before she spoke again. The words she wanted to say had held such sinister context when she'd heard them before. But they were true and they mirrored exactly the lesson he'd taught her. She wanted them to possess a new meaning too. She wanted them to be associated with something good instead of something cruel.

"There will be no more fear for us," Nayni said. "There will only be hope."


	32. Love Profusion

The Unilu Black Market was crowded and loud. It smelled of dung and sweat. As Zarkon's forces had slowly been engulfing the Altean empire, Nayni had been forced to pick more seedy locations for her and Allura to hide in. She hated to be taking shelter in a den full of space pirates but it seemed to be the best choice. Dealing with the scum of the universe didn't seem like Zarkon's number one priority. They'd been bunking in a shady flophouse for the past few days. Nayni had barely been sleeping. She spent most of the night keeping watch.

She didn't think anyone would recognize them with their disguises but she wasn't going to take any chances. The annoying part was they had to wear them all the time. They always had to keep their ears and faces covered. Any of these scoundrels would love to collect the bounty that Zarkon had put out for any Alteans. It was a situation that was nonstop stress. She was constantly paranoid about everyone around them and always on the lookout. Nayni didn't know if they'd ever truly feel safe again.

Coran's strange behavior had been weighing heavily on her too. Their correspondence had become so strange. Sometimes his messages were very short. She took his lack of communication as yet another sign that things weren't going well. The more dire this situation got, the less time he'd have to send her his silly letters. But then he'd started to send her these lengthy messages that were full of such emotion. Those troubled her just as much. Coran wasn't standing right in front of her but she could just tell from the tone of his letters that he was going through some kind of conflict.

Nayni wouldn't ask. She knew he couldn't answer. She kept that secret datapad with her always now. It was tucked in the same pocket that she kept that stupid pamphlet and those old photos. She should've tossed those pathetic trinkets away on the very first day that she and Allura had departed from Altea. But Nayni had clung to them. They'd brought her comfort during her darkest moments and there was no way she was going to let go of them now.

A particularly smelly, large alien with fat rolls spilling over his trousers walked by the rickety noodle stand where Nayni and Allura were having their lunch. The foul cloud that he left in his wake was so overwhelming that Nayni lost her appetite. She shoved the chipped bowl away from her. Allura had been eating rather slowly. She slurped up the orange noodles with little enthusiasm. The Princess had gotten used to consuming less than desirable food by now. But her spirits were so low that she'd barely found the will to eat or drink. If Nayni hadn't been nagging her incessantly to eat the girl probably would've starved to death by now.

Nayni wanted to tear the goggles and mask from her face. They made her sweat profusely and her nose was itching terribly. She pulled up the thick scratchy bandana that covered her mouth. That would at least mask the awful stench that hung in this dingy place. Allura's massive iridescent blue goggles made her look like some kind of insectoid alien. The only thing that indicated otherwise was her delicate exposed mouth that was currently slurping up another thick noodle.

Nayni felt the datapad in her pocket vibrate. She'd just received a message. Nayni looked around her surroundings. Aside from the grumpy alien running the noodle stand, everyone in the crowd seemed too busy to even notice her presence. Nayni clandestinely slipped the datapad from her pocket. She hunched over and cupped it in her hands. The metal of it had become a tad scuffed up over the course of their journey. The display flickered most of the time now and the light wasn't as bright as it had been.

She typed in the various passwords as quickly as she could. This wasn't the best place to be looking at her messages but there wasn't really a better one here. If she was quick about it she should be safe. Unless there was an expert hacker walking around in this den of scum there wasn't too much of a risk. She opened up her inbox on the orange display. Her eyes flickered over the white text at a quick pace.

 _Captain Nordontu,_

 _The time has come for your mission to be completed. I will forever be thankful for the great lengths you have gone to in order to keep my daughter safe. I don't know if it is possible to fully repay the debt that this family now owes to you. I'd had hoped that when it came time to give this order that it would be under much different circumstances._

 _You are to escort Allura back to the Castle. Coran is already making the arrangements for your transportation. The Castle is where I intend for Allura to stay for the duration of the war. You will be stationed elsewhere. After great deliberation, I have decided that it would be best for you to go to the Ark. I know how greatly this will upset you. I do hope that with time you will come to forgive me for this decision._

 _Upon your arrival, you may have a few days to say your goodbyes before your departure. I'm afraid time is too short to allow for much more than that. I again thank you for a lifetime of service. You will always remain family to Allura and I. No matter what happens, you will always be in our hearts._

 _Your King and Your Friend,_

 _Alfor_

Nayni's hands shook. She almost dropped the datapad on the dusty ground. She powered it down and stuffed it back into her pocket. She was grateful for this disguise now. It would make it easier to mask the sudden flood of emotions from Allura. Nayni had only heard the vaguest details about the Ark from Coran. It was enough to know what this meant. They were going to stuff her in a hibernation chamber and she'd be trapped in a deep slumber while the war raged on. The fact that this order had even come down had shaken her. Things weren't going well but they couldn't be that hopeless, could they?

She looked over to Allura. The Princess was still poking at the thick noodles idly with her spork. The girl was dirty and tired. She knew that Allura would be elated to be reunited with her father. But the idea of telling Allura that she had to leave made Nayni feel like she was being split in half. How was she supposed to look the girl in the eye?

Nayni had spent most of her life caring for the Princess. She'd woken up every day to serve this girl. She'd lived every moment for her. She'd watch that sweet, feisty little girl grow up into the strong and fearless young woman sitting next to her. Those chubby little hands had clung to Nayni's legs. Her squeaky little giggles had brought a smile to Nayni's face. This girl, this Princess, had saved Nayni's life. She'd had no purpose or direction until Allura had come into her life.

Nayni felt the tears already welling up in her eyes. She watched Allura wipe the greasy remnants of the noodles from her lips and slip back on the air filtration system that had been covering her mouth. Nayni's hands were shaking. She could not fall apart. She couldn't break down in front of the Princess. This was the first time that she had ever truly considered disobeying an order.

She'd daydreamed about running back to Coran with Allura but she'd never actually considered it. As much as it was agony to be away from him and to be away from her home, she never seriously thought about betraying the King like that. But she was going to part ways with Allura. She was going to be torn away from that girl and it was possible that they may never meet again. She would never see that sweet smile. They'd never dance around in her room to bad pop music again. All of these memories that she cherished with all her heart might be all that she'd have left.

And Coran? Nayni couldn't even begin to decipher how she felt about that. The idea of facing him and seizing this final opportunity was too overwhelming. What point would there be? Would she confess her love to him and be met with rejection? And if he didn't reject her it would still be heartbreak. It would bring her nothing but pain to see him. Nayni tossed some credits to the alien running the noodle stand. She nodded to Allura and they calmly departed.

They weaved through the crowd back towards their flophouse. Nayni would tell the Princess she was going to see her father again. She'd wallow in that moment of joy. She wouldn't allow it to be tainted with anything else. All she wanted was to see the elation on Allura's face again. That's what she wanted to hold onto before she left. She didn't want her last memories of Allura to be filled with tears and despair. Nayni wasn't going to tell her. Saying goodbye to Allura would be as torturous as flaying Nayni alive.

* * *

They had gathered in the lounge again. Allura watched Coran bring up a display in the center of the room. He was already typing into the computer interface and bringing up the information they'd gathered on the Queen. Allura had been to so many of these meetings. She used to watch her father at them and witnessed how he consulted with his allies. He used their combined wisdom to choose the best course of action. His methods had paid off for Allura as well.

Lotor and Pidge seemed rather inpatient and ready to begin. Allura knew Pidge was just curious. She assumed Lotor just wanted it to be done with. They hadn't exactly been listening to his ideas very much. Even though it had gotten them captured, his strategy had worked. If the Queen's militia hadn't clashed with Zarkon's main fleet, they might not have been able to free their friends. They'd struck at her when she'd been weakened and now she must be in an even more fragile state.

Lance still looked exhausted. He didn't appear to be ready to give his testimony but they didn't want to wait too much longer. They needed to analyze whatever information he could provide as soon as possible. Shiro was sitting near to Nanny. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere else. Shiro had been hovering around Nanny and Lance since they'd gotten back. He knew first hand what it was like to be held captive and tortured by an enemy. Allura was grateful to have him here. It comforted her to know that there was someone around to look after them who had been through something similar.

Hunk and Keith were still keeping an eye on Lotor. Hunk especially still seemed to be harboring an immense distrust for the Galra Prince. Matt sat down next to Pidge after Coran finished uploading the data that he had downloaded from the Other Castle during the mission. Everyone was here. This was going to be a difficult debriefing to get through but putting it off wasn't going to make it any easier. Coran stepped back from the computer interface. Allura wasn't surprised to see him take his place next to Nanny. Allura wasn't even sure how to start this off.

The awkward silence was interrupted rather quickly by Lotor.

"Shall we begin with Tomyko?" Lotor proposed.

His golden eyes had narrowed and he did not look pleased.

"Our most reliable source of information on The Queen is gone thanks to your little babysitter," Lotor snapped.

Nanny's nostrils flared. Shiro held out his cybernetic arm to keep Nanny from leaping at Lotor. Allura didn't like the way Lotor had brought up this topic but it was something that needed to be discussed. Lance was fuming too. He was giving Lotor a rather nasty look.

"Back off, man, it doesn't matter. She's gone. Let's just figure out what to do next," Lance said.

Lotor scrunched up his face in disgust.

"No, I want to know what was so important that we had to leave behind such a valuable asset," Lotor pressed. "It better have been worth it because I fail to see how it benefits us now. Why don't you explain to us what exactly your unfinished business was? I would like to know why that outweighed our need to escape with our full party."

Allura didn't realize that things were going to erupt this early in the conversation. She knew this was going to be tense but this was already more explosive than she'd imagined. Lance got to his feet. The Blue Paladin was about to start for Lotor. His tan skin was already reddening from anger.

"I am about five seconds away from beating the crap out of you," Lance seethed.

Shiro grabbed Lance by the arm and pulled him back onto the couch.

"No one's beating up anybody," Shiro said firmly. "Why don't we just start from the beginning?"

The Black Paladin was very gifted at averting disaster. For a moment there Allura thought she'd be busting out her chainwhip so Lotor couldn't lay his hands on Lance. The Blue Paladin kept glaring at the Galra Prince. Shiro's eyes kept darting between the two of them. He was waiting for either of them to make a move before he continued.

"Okay-" Shiro said. "Why don't you tell us what happened once they brought you on board the Other Castle."

Lance took some deep breaths to collect himself.

"They disabled Red somehow," Lance said. "I don't know what voodoo magic they used but there was no way we were blasting our way out of there."

The Queen must've expended quite a bit of quintessence to pull that one off. Allura didn't even know if she was capable of such a thing. But she'd been doing quite a bit lately that she'd never thought she possessed the ability to. Lotor just leaned against the sleek white wall. He seemed to be done with talking after his outburst had been shut down. Lance looked to Nanny. The Guard Captain hesitated for a moment before she spoke.

"They knocked us out," Nanny explained. "It looked just like the standard taser that my Guardsmen used to use. When I came to-"

Nanny grabbed Coran's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I was alone," Nanny said.

She didn't seem ready to say more. Lance tore his gaze away from Coran and Nanny.

"My memory is kind of fuzzy," Lance said. "But I remember that Advisor guy."

Lance shuddered. He bit down on his bottom lip and started to jiggle his leg.

"I mean, I wasn't awake, but he was in my head," Lance said. "I don't know how the hell he did it but he was in there and it felt-"

Lance gritted his teeth. Shiro rested his hand on Lance's shoulder. This relieved the Blue Paladin's tension a bit.

"I just remember Nanny pulling me out of that pod. I don't know how she got there but she did," Lance said. "And then you guys all turned up."

Nanny shifted in her seat. It was already her turn to talk again and it was very clear to Allura that her old guardian wasn't ready to. Coran whispered something into Nanny's ear and she nodded. Her pointed ears drooped.

"The Advisor held me in his personal chambers," Nanny said.

Hunk recoiled.

"Wait-whoa-he didn't-" Hunk stammered.

"No," Nanny said. "He'd be dead by now if he'd tried anything like that."

But Allura could tell by the look in Nanny's eye that she wished she'd killed him anyway. Nanny kept her gaze locked to Allura. The Princess felt like it was just a private conversation between the two of them. Maybe Nanny needed it to feel that way. Allura couldn't blame her for that.

"He melded minds with me," Nanny said. "He'd done it with everyone they captured."

Nanny's gaze flickered over to Lotor for a moment.

"He showed me something about you, Lotor," Nanny said. "You had the opportunity to end my life once and you didn't."

Allura turned to face the Galra Prince. All eyes were on him now. If this was true Allura didn't know how to feel about it. She needed to know more. Lotor just smirked and shrugged.

"How else do you think I knew where that Ark was?" Lotor said. "Yes, I went there and yes I left that pod intact. I didn't know who was in it. I didn't care. It was just in the most secured area of that vessel so I knew it had to be an important occupant."

He flashed Allura a smirk. Nanny was here today because Lotor had decided not to destroy her pod. He had the chance to smash it to pieces and end her life but he'd stayed his hand. His motives were most definitely not pure. But because of his actions, Allura had Nanny back. Coran had Nanny back. Keith shook his head.

"You just have to hold onto whatever bargaining chip you come across, don't you?" Keith said.

Lotor just sighed.

"You can feel however you want about it," Lotor said. "We all got something we wanted because of what I did."

Allura didn't know if she wanted to slap him or hug him. Coran looked at Nanny and smiled softly. He actually chuckled a little.

"I never thought I would be saying this but thank you, Lotor," Coran said.

Lotor took a great deal of pleasure from Coran's comment.

"You are most welcome," Lotor said. "It's so nice to finally be appreciated."

Pidge snickered and Matt elbowed her in the side to silence her. It wasn't the best moment to be laughing. Nanny's eyes had glazed over a while ago. She'd been staring off into space. Allura didn't like the look on her face. She didn't like the worry lines spread out across that olive skin.

"He showed me everything," Nanny said.

The look on Nanny's face compelled Allura to reach for her. The Princess knelt down in front of the Guard Captain. She didn't care if it embarrassed Nanny. She rested her slender hand on Nanny's thick knee. Pidge found this a tad awkward. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Everything?" Pidge asked.

Allura looked into Nanny's tired violet eyes.

"I saw _their_ Altea burn," Nanny said. "I watched thousands of other worlds burn as _their_ empire rose to power. They took everything they could and if anything remained they turned it to ash. The things that he did, Lurie, the lengths he was willing to go to to get what he wanted. He betrayed-"

Allura couldn't let this go on. She'd never seen Nanny like this. She'd never seen this tough woman so disturbed in her entire life. Allura didn't think she even wanted to know what Nanny had endured any more. Lance didn't seem to remember much, maybe that was a blessing.

"We're done," Allura said.

Lotor rolled his eyes. He was fed up with them but Allura didn't care.

"As soon as the old woman gets a little teary eyed you decide to stop?" Lotor hissed. "I still want to know why Tomyko died. I want to know why we had to sacrifice all of that knowledge."

Allura got to her feet. She was ready to punch Lotor in the face. He'd proven to be a powerful ally but he was such an insufferably cold and selfish creature. They were going to need him to beat The Queen and they were definitely going to need him to take out Zarkon. Allura's temper was on the rise but she couldn't lose control right now.

"You showed her mercy once," Allura said. "Maybe you can find it within yourself to do it again."

Lotor just smirked.

"Fine, but we will find out what happened," Lotor pressed.

Allura watched the Galra Prince storm out. This hadn't gone well at all. The only thing they'd gotten out of this debriefing was just a vague inkling of what their comrades had suffered through. Maybe she was being too overprotective of Nanny but she couldn't help it. Keith sighed and Allura braced herself for whatever comment he was about to make. She knew it wasn't going to be good.

"We really need to just get this over with," Keith said. "If we keep waiting around then The Queen's just going to attack another system. Are we really going to keep going in circles like this?"

Allura clenched her fists. She appreciated his bluntness. Sometimes it wasn't appropriate. This was one of those times. Shiro shifted in his seat so he could look at Keith. Shiro and Keith seemed to share this unspoken language. The Black Paladin's gaze was enough to get Keith to back off. Keith was brooding in the corner as if he'd just been scolded by a parent. Shiro sighed. He seemed frustrated too but he of all people could understand how hard it was to dig up a painful experience like this.

"Let's just meet up later," Shiro said. "We'll figure something out. We always do."

Allura lingered behind while the others split off. Lance didn't seem terribly interested in running off either. Coran and Nanny started to head for the exit. Shiro hovered near Allura as they watched the two of them. The Black Paladin looked very concerned. His brow was furrowed and he was clenching his cybernetic fist. He leaned in near Allura and whispered to her.

"Maybe you should talk to her in private," Shiro said.

Allura nodded. It might be for the best.

"Later," Allura said. "She needs time."

Shiro forced a smile. Allura watched Coran escort Nanny through the doorway. Allura knew as long as Coran was by her side, that Nanny was in good hands. Maybe she'd open up to him. If that's what would be easier, Allura didn't care.

"I hate to say it but, I don't know how long we can wait," Shiro said.

His words reminded Allura of something else that had been on her mind. It wasn't exactly a pressing matter but it had still been nagging her in the back of her mind. She glanced at Lance who was still sitting on the couch. Allura sighed and shook her head.

"Nanny will do her duty, Shiro, I promise you that," Allura said.

Shiro seemed satisfied enough. Allura knew he wouldn't push too much on this. This situation was far too familiar to him for the Black Paladin not to empathize. After Shiro departed, Allura was left alone with Lance. He was dragging his feet. She imagined that hearing Nanny's testimony had an effect on him. He'd been on the Other Castle too. He'd been toyed with by The Advisor too, he just didn't remember it as vividly as Nanny did. Lance was staring at the palms of his hands.

He looked like he was concentrating with such intensity. He must've been searching within himself for something. It wasn't the best time. But they were all painfully aware of how little time they had now. And after everything that had happened, Allura didn't want to waste any more time. The Queen had destroyed an entire planet and she'd nearly stolen away a good portion of Allura's family.

Allura sat down next to Lance. He seemed rather surprised by her presence. He'd been there for her countless times before now and she knew why. She needed him to know why she wanted to be by his side too. She wasn't scared of this. She knew how he felt. What scared her was how this might change things. The dynamic that she had with the Paladins now was working. They'd accomplished so much. But she'd watched Coran and Nanny put duty before their own happiness her entire life. They both had advised her that this was a massive mistake.

Allura reached for Lance's hand. She laced her slender brown fingers between his. When she squeezed his hand it felt so natural. Nothing felt wrong. Lance was so wrapped up in the aftermath of all this chaos that he didn't seem to know how to react. Allura smiled. She knew this was going to be a lot to spring on him right now but she hoped it would comfort him too.

"This last mission made me realize some things," Allura said.

Lance looked down at her hand. He flexed his fingers. She could tell he was trying to hold back. He wanted to stroke her hand.

"I think we can all say that," Lance said.

He could be an overzealous flirt and flashy but that was all a front. It was obvious to all of them by now. But what Allura appreciated was how he knew just when to turn that part of himself off. He'd flirted with her from the get-go and hadn't let up yet now that she was holding his hand and sitting so close to him he didn't seem to have the slightest idea what was about to happen.

"I know," Allura said. "But I'm speaking specifically about you-and me."

Lance's eyes widened and a flush spread out across his tan skin. He looked like he was about to implode.

"I have an answer for you _finally_ ," Allura said.

His face turned even redder. It was rather adorable. He was always so confident with every random girl they'd come across. He'd been rather charismatic and confident with her too but she'd caught him blushing and smiling when he thought she wasn't looking. She'd always known he had some feelings for her. And he'd been brave enough to make those feelings clear to her. She respected him quite a bit for finally addressing the situation in such a mature manner.

"I care about you," Allura said. "Everyday we're up against some new horrible enemy. We're always charging off into situations that could potentially kill us. We have no idea how much time we have and I don't want to waste it. I want to give this a shot, Lance."

A smile crept across Lance's face. He looked down at her hand. He finally ran his finger across the surface of her soft skin. He was clutching her hand as if it was some precious treasure from an ancient ruin.

"So I just want to make sure we're on the same page," Lance said. "I just got rescued from a Demon Castle by a badass magic Princess and she wants to date me?"

He flashed that devilish grin that she'd slowly grown fond of. Even though he still looked exhausted he had that twinkle in his eye again. Allura giggled.

"Yes," Allura said.

It felt good to say it. Lance just kept nodding. He seemed rather surprised by her admission but he was so content. Seeing his mood take such a drastic turn made Allura feel so satisfied. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. They'd hugged each other many times before but this time was different. She felt more connected to him now. Feeling his warmth against her body was so comforting. She could hear the sound of his heart racing in his chest. He couldn't stop laughing. The Blue Paladin still seemed to be in a state of disbelief.

"We're a thing," Lance said. "Holy crap, _we're a thing_."

Allura reached up and cupped his face in her hands. He melted and it made her smile.

"Yes, we are," Allura said. "And I'm here for you because you've always been there for me."

Lance's eyes possessed so much light. Allura had never seen him like this. It was rather nice to have someone looking at her like that. Lance grinned and ran his thumb along the curve of her cheek.

"I should get kidnapped more often if this is what's going to happen," Lance teased.

Allura sighed and shook her head.

"Please don't," Allura said.


	33. Written In The Stars

The sleek, white Altean shuttle was gliding into the Castle's hangar. Allura was shaking with excitement. Nayni knew the girl was dying to see her father again. The thrill in those indigo eyes brought Nayni both such elation and such sorrow. She still had not told the Princess that she would not be staying. She couldn't bear to do that. She couldn't handle saying goodbye to this precious girl. Allura's petite brown nose was pressed up against the window of the shuttle. Her breath was fogging up the glass.

Nayni stared down at the lengthy letter she'd typed up on her beat up datapad. Her finger hovered over the button that would send this message to Coran. Nayni's bottom lip was already quivering. She couldn't succumb yet, she had to wait until Allura had departed. Nayni slid her finger across the orange display and her message was sent. She had finally executed the first step of her plan.

She felt like she was being so selfish but she didn't want this to be drawn out. She didn't want to endure that torture. So she would allow this one moment for herself. She wanted these last moments with the Princess to be happy. She didn't want to cry. She wanted the last expression she saw on Allura's face to be one of happiness.

The shuttle bounced as it landed in the hangar. Nayni already felt like she was choking up. Allura unbuckled her safety belt. She clamored out of her seat. Her silver curls had fallen about her like a cape. She was such a beautiful young woman and she'd grown to be so strong. Nayni felt such a swell of pride that it was almost painful. Their days of running had finally come to an end. Allura would finally be able to help her people as she had so desperately wanted to.

The shuttle door swung forward and the boarding ramp descended to the glossy floor of the hangar. Allura was so excited that she was tearing up a little. Those were the only tears that Nayni had ever wanted to see on that girl's face. This was a betrayal. Nayni knew that. She'd been so honest with the Princess for her entire life and in the end, she'd decided to hide this from her.

Allura was fidgeting. She was waiting for Nayni to get up and come with her. Nayni was the only one who knew that wouldn't be happening. Allura looked at her guardian rather impatiently.

"Nanny, hurry up! Please, I just can't wait anymore!" Allura pleaded.

Nayni smiled. She unbuckled her restraint and crept over to the Princess. Nayni looked up at her and tried to memorize every curve and feature of that face. She rested a hand on the Princess's shoulder. It was taking a great deal of strength to restrain herself from bawling.

"You go ahead, Lurie," Nayni said. "I've just got to gather up my things."

Nayni didn't have much and she wasn't going to bring it with her to the Ark. The pamphlet and photos in her pocket were the only things that were going with her into the sleep chamber. Allura nodded. The girl just couldn't stop smiling. She seemed to be sparkling.

"Okay, okay," Allura said. "But don't doddle!"

Nayni watched Allura scamper down the loading ramp. She just couldn't wait. Coran was already standing at the entrance to the hangar. The tears finally came when Nayni saw him. Allura lept on the Royal Advisor and engulfed him in a hug. He laughed and squeezed her tightly. Nayni bit down on her bottom lip to stifle her sobs. Even from this far away, he still looked so gorgeous. He was still one of the most beautiful creatures she'd ever seen.

All of the memories just came flooding to her. Nayni should've kissed him that night they'd gotten drunk. When he'd held her in his arms after she'd gotten injured, she should've looked into his eyes and told him how perfect he was. Nayni should've danced with him at the quiznacking ball. She should've held his hand when they played that game of muril. She should've let that awful wine do the talking for her and slipped into bed with him. Nayni let out a gasp as the tears rolled down the curve of her plump olive cheeks.

There was no going back. There was no undoing all the mistakes she'd made with him. He'd never know either. He'd never know how deeply she regretted every choice she'd made with him. He'd never know how much her heart ached over every single time she'd run from him. The guilt of disappointing her long-dead wife was crushing her too. Tomyko wouldn't have wanted it to be this way.

Tomyko would've wanted Nayni to confess everything to Coran after Zarkon's supposed death. She should've gone to that sleeping redhead on her couch and invited him into her bedroom. He was so dedicated and gentle. He'd let her cry on his shoulder. He'd encouraged her and always saw the best in her. Nayni watched Coran smile as he chatted with Allura. They both looked so excited and content.

He looked up at the shuttle and Nayni felt her heart breaking. That devilish grin and that twinkle in his eye was too much to take. He was still expecting her to descend down that ramp. Nayni had no doubt that he knew about Alfor's orders but Coran must've been expecting her to take the few days that the King had given her. Nayni smiled back at him.

The last time she'd look upon that dashing man would be this moment. He had a smile on his face. He was so happy to see her back. She couldn't take it anymore. Nayni walked back into the shuttle. She sat down in one of the tiny uncomfortable seats and buckled back up. The Guard Captain took in deep hungry breaths. It did nothing to help ease the sobs that were making her shudder. Nayni looked to the cockpit at the young Altean pilot.

"Do we have enough fuel to make it to the outpost?" Nayni stammered.

Her voice was cracking. The Altean boy looked over his shoulder with a quizzical look on his face.

"Yes, Captain, but why?" He asked.

Nayni closed her eyes. She laid her head back against the seat and let out a sigh.

"Take me there," Nayni said.

The pilot nodded. Nayni's bottom lip kept quivering. She listened to the sound of the loading ramp retracting and the shuttle door closing. She let the grief come pouring out of her. Her sobs were so loud they were echoing off of the shuttle walls. She didn't care if that pilot heard. She clutched on to her safety harness tightly as the shuttle bucked. She felt that familiar tingle in her gut as the vessel launched into the air.

Her vision was blurred by the constant stream of tears. She felt like she was abandoning them. She had faith in Alfor's plan but it was destroying her. She felt like the universe was punishing her for all the mistakes she'd made over the years. She'd hold onto this one moment of paradise. She'd cling to it as her beacon of hope. The joy on the faces of the people she loved most. It's all she'd ever wanted to see over the course of this awful war. Her sobs only grew more loud and desperate as she watched the white silhouette of the Castle grow more distant until it was swallowed up by the inky abyss of space.

Coran's jaw dropped as he watched the shuttle depart. Allura whirled around as soon as she heard the sound of the engines firing back up. The Princess started running back to the shuttle. Coran grabbed her and pulled her back away. Allura was shaking. Her indigo eyes were wide and wild.

"Coran! Coran, what's happening?" Allura cried. "Why is she leaving!?"

The Princess's cries were so heartbreaking to hear. His hands were trembling. He'd been expecting Nayni to get off that shuttle. He thought she was going to spend a few days on the Castle before she left. He had a bottle of Space Pirate Gin and a box of sweets that he'd been hoarding in his quarters. He was supposed to tell her. He was supposed to take her by the hand and tell that woman how much she meant to him.

Allura buried her face in her hands as the shuttle flew out of the hangar. Coran wrapped his arms around her slender frame and pulled her closer. He felt the tears burning in his eyes but he wouldn't let them out. He had to keep it together for Allura. He had to be strong for her. But the pain was so immense that he didn't know if he'd be able to do that.

Nayni had run from him again but this was by far the worst of all the times she had. There was a chance he'd never see her again. He'd never get to tell her. He'd never get to face the Guard Captain and tell her how much he loved her. She'd never know how many years he'd spent pining for her. Nayni would never know how splendid it felt to have her on his arm at the Veteran's Banquet. He'd never get to tell her how much he appreciated her ceaseless nagging because he knew it had come from a place of love.

Coran gingerly tried to shepherd Allura back into the hallway.

"Come, Princess," Coran said weakly. "Come see your father. He and I will explain everything."

Allura's hand felt so limp as he grasped it. She needed the King right now. Coran needed him too. Coran heard the soft chime of his datapad. That sound made it feel as if his heart had fallen to the ground. He knew what that sound meant. Allura was starting to outpace him as they made their way down the hallway. The heels of her shoes clicked as she sprinted down the corridor. Coran could barely find the will to keep walking.

His hand trembled as he pulled out the datapad. He saw the icon on the orange display that indicated he had an unread message. He took in a sharp breath. At least he wouldn't have to lie alone in bed and wonder why Nayni had done this. At least she'd had the heart to give him some kind of explanation. He opened up the message. He tried to wipe the tears away from his eyes but the white words on the screen still looked so blurry to him.

 _Mister Smythe,_

 _I have no idea if you were involved with this plan. It doesn't matter. I know you did your duty and that is the most important thing to me. As much as it pains me, I respect Alfor's decision to send me to the Ark._

 _I just cannot bear to see her. I can't bear to say goodbye to her. I love that girl too much. I have spent my entire career protecting her. I watched her grow from a messy toddler into that exquisite young lady she is today. Parting ways with her is one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do._

 _I know you'll take care of her. I know you'll protect her as I did. I know you will be there for both of them. You will help guide them through all of this chaos and darkness. That is the only comfort I can take form all of this. I know I'll be leaving her in good hands. I trust you above all others._

 _It is why I can't bear to say goodbye to you either. I'm sorry my dear friend. I feel as if this is a betrayal to you both but I don't have the strength to do this. If I had to say these words to your face I don't think I could've brought myself to leave. I am a cowardly wretch when it comes down to it._

 _I need you to know that you are the most dedicated and brilliant man I have ever met. It has been an honor working with you over all these years. You have been my most cherished friend and colleague. Promise me that you will take care of yourself. Don't forget to eat three proper meals a day. Get a full night's rest. You must take care of yourself first if you intend to take care of Allura and Alfor. I will break down the barrier of that sleep chamber and scold you if you don't._

 _Your friend always,_

 _Madame Nordontu_

Coran cupped the datapad in his hands. He looked over those words. Every single one made his heart break a little bit more. If she'd just stepped off the shuttle. He would've been there. He would've gotten to settle things between the two of them before they parted ways. He didn't know if this would be the last time he'd lay eyes on her. He had no way of knowing.

Coran knew nothing could be changed. He knew there was no way to undo what had come to be. She was all that he had ever wanted and he was to be denied this. Even if he'd just had three days to hold her and to be with her. It would've been enough for him. Coran wouldn't have cared if she didn't feel the same way. He just wanted her to step on that vessel and finally know the truth.

He didn't know how he'd feel as the days dragged on. He'd have this war to focus on. He'd have duty but he'd always be wondering what had been going on in that woman's head over the years. Coran would never stop thinking of her. He'd never stop wondering what fate would befall her. No matter how this grim war went, she would always be lingering in his thoughts. He was just grateful that he'd gotten to see her face one last time before she'd been torn away from him.

* * *

Coran rolled over in their bed and wrapped his lanky arms around Nayni's plump body. He still couldn't get over how warm she was. She radiated such heat while she was tucked into these silken blankets. He could tell from the way she was breathing that she wasn't actually asleep. They'd been through so much that he couldn't really either. He nuzzled his face into hers. His mustache brushed against her ear. He smiled when he saw that little, pointed ear twitched.

Nayni rolled over. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked so drained. Her thick brows furrowed and he knew she was about to nag him. He was already smiling with anticipation. The woman had just gone through such trauma and she still felt the need to lecture him. Nayni rested her stubby little hand on his bare chest and let out a sigh of frustration.

"At least one of us needs to sleep," Nayni said.

Coran grasped her hand and ran his thumb across the surface of her knuckles. He had savored every moment they'd been together since they'd recovered her from the Ark. He'd thought her dead. He'd thought that he'd never see her again.

"Well, if you're not sleeping I don't particularly feel like it either," Coran teased.

Nayni just smiled. In the past, she would've rolled her eyes and called him stupid. He actually missed that a little bit but he was fine with this shift in their relationship too. Coran smirked and toyed with the end of his mustache.

"Well if we both can't sleep we could always try doing something else," Coran said coyly.

Nayni's cheeks and ears flushed. He doubted she was in the mood but getting her flustered was still such an enjoyable experience. It was rather intoxicating. It seemed she'd found him out recently though. She'd gotten wise to his ways. She shook her head though she didn't seem terribly annoyed with him.

"Was it part of your duties as Royal Advisor to constantly make me blush and work me into a tizzy?" Nayni said.

She sounded quite serious but he knew she was teasing him. It hadn't been one of his official duties but he did consider it a vital part of his job for many years. It was nice to hear the playfulness in her tone given the grim circumstances they found themselves in.

"I could ask you the very same question," Coran said.

This got her even more flustered and this occasion was infinitely more satisfying than before. She was well aware now of the effect that she'd had on him all those years ago but, she still seemed shocked everytime Coran brought it up. She was blushing furiously now.

"I don't believe that's why Alfor appointed me to my position," Nayni stammered.

Coran had never known exactly what had gone on in that room when he'd left. It had to have been a rather interesting conversation. Alfor had seemed very impressed with her after that private chat. Coran brushed a stray strand of brown hair away from her round face.

"I have always wondered what happened during your interview," Coran said. "What did you say? He was so confident that you were the one after that."

Coran had always found her muscles and ample bosom to be rather impressive but he assumed it took more than that to grab Alfor's attention. Nayni traced her finger along the curve of Coran's collarbone.

"He asked me how I felt about the nature of grief," Nayni said.

Coran had known that Alfor had been asking the Guard Captain candidates some rather unusual questions but he hadn't realized they were of such a delicate and personal nature.

"I told him that I didn't believe it ever really stops," Nayni explained. "Things may start to feel normal over time but there will always be something that reminds you of the person you lost. You never truly stop thinking of them."

There was the faintest of frowns on her face. Coran had come to feel the same way over time. He thought of Alfor a great deal. He'd thought of her quite a bit too when he'd thought she was dead. She'd always been a rather blunt person when it came to such sensitive matters. He'd been lucky enough to have her back. It had been a great comfort but he still was haunted by the loss of Altea. Facing off against these Alteans from another reality had torn open that wound again for him.

They were such familiar faces that it was jarring. It had been so long since Coran had seen an Altean other than Allura. But these were not the people that he knew. They were nothing like the Alteans he'd known. Nayni ran her fingers through the thin patch of red hair on his chest. Her delicate touch was making his skin tingle.

"You of all people know how terrible I am at letting things go," Nayni said. "But I suppose Alfor agreed with my sentiments and that's why he chose me."

Coran didn't really want any more of this sad talk. They'd had far too much of it lately. He ran his hand along the curves of her body and grasped at her wide hips.

"Yes your words sounded rather impressive," Coran said.

Nayni's ears twitched as the flush returned to her olive skin. It appeared that she might actually be willing to engage in a distraction.

"-but you have plenty of other impressive _features_ ," Coran cooed.

She laughed nervously. He waited before he made another move. Nayni shifted and gripped onto his wrist. He found himself smirking already. Nayni looked rather bashful. She'd parted her lips to speak but she kept giggling sheepishly.

"I—I have always found your hands to be your most impressive feature," Nayni stammered. "And your mustache of course."

"Really?" Coran said.

"Y-yes," Nayni stammered. "They're-they're like a musician's hands."

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Coran slid his hand between her thick thights. He wanted to do this for her. He wanted to see her smile. He wanted her to get some relief from all this stress. It might not accomplish these things but it would get her to sleep at the very least. He ran his teeth along the skin of her neck and she gasped.

"I had no idea they had such an effect on you," Coran teased.

He planted buttery kisses on her neck. He knew it would drive her wild.

When he'd brought her over the edge, she rested her head on his chest. He could feel her damp forehead pressed against his skin. Nayni babbled some nonsensical string of words that he assumed was an outpouring of gratitude. He planted tender kisses on the top of her head. Her messy damp hair was tickling the tip of his prominent nose.

"Do you feel tired now?" Coran asked.

Nayni just nodded and he chuckled. His hand remained between her thighs as she drifted off in his arms. He relished the feeling of her intense heat and the smell of her lingering in the air. Coran laid his head back on his pillow. He felt the warm, inviting wave of relaxation wash over him. Bringing her this one moment of pleasure during these times of strife meant so much to him. It was so deeply satisfying that he could finally clear his mind and join her in that peaceful slumber.

* * *

They had endured two battles now. The Queen was so drained that The Advisor knew it would be some time before she'd be ready to enter the fray again. Her addiction to quintessence hadn't helped her as she had thought. He had watched it unleash new and more potent powers but it had been at a cost. She constantly needed to be refueled. She always needed that feed of quintessence from the remnants of the transreality comet.

The Advisor didn't have time to wait. He wanted blood. He wanted oceans of blood for what had been stolen from him. He had waited thousands of years for this one chance. He'd waited so patiently for the forces of the universe to deliver this opportunity to him and it had been snatched away from him. That cursed woman had ripped Nayni from her pod and thrust her into the realm of nonexistence. He'd made Tomyko pay for that. He'd squeezed the life from her slender neck and listened to her bones crack in his grasp.

But he needed more. He was not going to stop until every last one of them was dead. He wanted to pick them off one by one until _that_ Nayni was the only one left. He'd make her watch everyone she loved be torn apart. He'd make her wallow in their blood and hold their cold lifeless corpses in her arms. The Advisor was going to split open her lover, his doppelganger, right in front of her. He would listen to her cries of despair and he would relish in her torment.

The Advisor hovered near his Queen. He needed her. He needed her now and he could not wait. They needed to act.

"We need to press the attack," The Advisor hissed. "We need to open a rift and bring in more warships. They need to pay for their insolence."

The Queen's lips parted and she let out a weak sigh. Her eyes fluttered open. Her breaths still were labored. She tilted her head to face him. She looked so irritated with him.

"Do you wish to see me dead?" The Queen sighed.

He clenched his fists. The Advisor didn't care anymore. He had stood by her side his entire life. She had come face to face with the abyss and he had brought her back. There had been only one thing across all the infinite realities that he'd wanted and it had been stolen from him. He paced back and forth before her. He was not going to grovel and beg. Those days were so far behind him that he could barely recall them anymore.

"You owe this to me!" The Advisor snarled. "I deserve this chance for vengeance! After everything I've sacrificed for you, you have to give me this one thing! When have I ever asked for anything? When!?"

The Queen just clenched her jaw. She weakly gripped onto the arms of her cold, black throne.

"I owe you?" The Queen hissed. "That's laughable. I always thought what you did to her was sick."

The Advisor froze. The Queen's words had cut him to the core.

"She was the mother that I never had," The Queen pressed. "She had one wish and you denied her that. You disrespected her and everything she stood for. She was not some pet for you to keep in a cage. You let your selfish desires blind you to what really mattered."

She didn't understand. The Queen had never understood. He'd done nothing but remain loyal to her. He had set aside one piece of happiness for himself and now that it was gone she didn't care. They could've gone to any reality. They had chosen this one at random and it just happened to be the one where all of his hopes and dreams finally could've come to be. Instead, he'd watched it all dissolve right before his eyes.

The Queen squirmed in her throne. She was struggling to reposition herself.

"We're leaving here anyway," The Queen snapped. "This place isn't worth all this trouble. "That superweapon, that _Voltron_ , it will be our downfall eventually."

No. No, they could not leave. He wouldn't leave until he'd gotten what he wanted.

"Once I'm strong enough again, we're going someplace else," The Queen said. "I will hear no protests from you. We have an endless number of realities we can go to. One of them will be easy enough prey."

The Advisor whipped around. He seized The Queen by the neck and tore her from her throne. The tubes that were feeding her a stream of quintessence broke. Red liquid spilled out and splashed along the floor. The Queen's eyes grew wide. She clawed at his hands to try and pull them off. She was too weak to win this.

"We're not leaving," The Advisor growled. "Don't make me kill you."

The Queen thrashed. Red sparks erupted from the tips of her fingers. She was trying to steal his life essence but she didn't possess the power in this feeble state. She was still trying to fight him. All she had to do was let go. All she had to do was let him have this. She coughed and gasped as she tried to speak.

"No," The Queen choked.

He tightened his grip. She continued to thrash. He pushed her against the cold metal of her throne. His feet slipped on the red liquid that was flooding the room. The Advisor grabbed her by her silver hair. He gazed into the fading glow of her red eyes. He yanked her head to the side. The loud cracking sound of her neck snapping made him shudder with delight. He let her drop to the floor. Her twisted limp body looked so fragile.

If she hadn't betrayed him he wouldn't have done it. The Queen could've lived. He could've continued to serve her but she had denied him this one thing. She was the one that was disgusting. After everything he and Nayni had done for her, she couldn't even give him this one small favor. He wasn't asking her to take this entire reality. He just wanted to see these enemies suffer. He wanted to see them writhe in pain as he made their last moments pure agony.

A laugh escaped from between his lips. He felt tears streaming down his cold skin for the first time in thousands of years. The Advisor cackled as the tears continued to spill forth. He had killed this girl that he had vowed to serve. He had snuffed the life out of her. She couldn't stop him now. Nothing could stop him now.

He knelt down on the floor. His robes were already soaked from the raw liquid quintessence. He cradled The Queen's corpse in his arms. He brushed his fingers through her long silver hair. Her eyes looked cold and foggy like a storm front approaching a seashore.

"I'm sorry," The Advisor whispered. "But I have to do this."

The edges of his mouth twitched as they curled up in a smile. This was his army now. This was his legion of warships. This was his Castle. He was going to take what he wanted. It didn't matter if it took every Altean life in his army. No amount of death could stop him from this. And this _Voltron_ wasn't going to stop him. He wouldn't allow any obstacle to stand in his way. He would make them all pay. He would watch them burn. He would make them feel the same misery that they had inflicted upon him.


	34. Let's Get It Started

Either Pidge's tracking program had malfunctioned or something major had changed with The Queen's militia. The Green Paladin and Coran had noticed the odd behavior of the armada's movements. Now the Castle crew had gathered around on the bridge yet again. It was Lotor who was brooding in the back of the room now. Nayni glanced over her shoulder at the Galra Prince. His gaze was glued to her. It appeared that he was the one with trust issues now. She'd have to come up with a better lie about Tomyko's death if she hoped to get him to shut up about the matter.

Coran was leaning over the main control panel. The display above him had been illuminated with the green windows of Pidge's program. Even though Nayni was just looking at a bunch of red blips on a screen, she still felt a chill run down her spine. She wouldn't feel completely at ease until she knew The Advisor had been removed from the face of existence in totality. The cluster of blips did seem smaller than what normally populated the screen. The only people in the room that seemed to really be troubled by what was on the display was Coran and Pidge.

But, Nayni had immediately noted how closely Lance and Allura were standing next to each other. They were practically leaning on one another. Maybe the Blue Paladin had taken her advice. When she first met him, Nayni would've been furious to see him with Allura. Not much time had passed since then but it seemed like an eon had gone by. Now Nayni was certain she wouldn't want anyone else by the Princess's side. Nayni still wanted to have a bit of chat about that.

Shiro stroked his chin as he looked over the program with a quizzical look. Hunk already looked like he was bracing himself to hear something terrifying. Nayni didn't blame him, there had been nothing but bad and horrifying news as of late. Shiro flexed his cybernetic hand and looked at the Green Paladin.

"Mind telling us what we're looking at, Pidge?" Shiro asked.

Normally, Pidge was pretty enthusiastic to share what she'd deducted with everyone. She didn't seem excited at the moment but she wasn't scared. Her brows were furrowed with concern. Pidge pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Well, I started to have some concerns after the rescue mission," Pidge began.

She looked at Coran and the redhead just nodded.

"The Queen's behavior has been pretty consistent until now," Pidge went on. "She engages with combatants, if their defenses get worn down she then opens a rift back to her reality and brings in more of her warships. We then get overwhelmed and have to bail out."

Oh yes, that had definitely been the pattern of things and it had become incredibly repetitive and frustrating. An entire alien race had been left homeless because of that tactic. Coran typed into the main control panel. The logs from the tracking program that he pulled up were dating from around the time that they'd first encountered the Queen's militia. Coran leaned back and folded his arms across his chest.

"After every battle, The Queen would replenish her troops," Coran said.

Nayni watched the old footage. The small cluster of red blips suddenly developed into a larger cluster within a tik. Coran brought up the current tracking log and zoomed in.

"After her battle with Zarkon, the Queen's fleet was weakened substantially," Coran explained. "And during our rescue mission I fully expected her to open a rift and bring in more ships but that didn't happen."

Coran watched the red blips move across the main display.

"It would've been natural for her to open up another rift after we fled and bring in more troops," Coran said. "But it's quite clear from the tracker that this hasn't happened either."

Nayni's heart started racing. She couldn't explain the sudden crushing terror that had come over her. It was as if The Advisor was standing right behind her again. She could practically feel his icy cold breath on the back of her neck. She actually looked over her shoulder to see if he was there, as stupid as that was. The only person behind them was Lotor.

Lance pursed his lips and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Maybe we just pushed them too far and it's taking them more time to recover," Lance said. " I mean they did get hammered pretty hard by us."

Allura shook her head. She rested her delicate hand on her chest as she looked over the main display.

"No-" Allura said. "Something definitely feels-"

The Princess furrowed her brow. She hesitated before she continued.

"I can feel it," Allura said. "It just feels wrong."

The girl had good instincts. Nayni put a lot of stock in them. The only information they had to work with were these strange movements. Nayni's intuition was drawing her towards a conclusion that she didn't even have the evidence to prove was true. She wasn't certain but from what little she'd skimmed from the _other_ Nayni's memories it took a great deal of energy to power the mechanisms of the Other Castle that opened rifts. It was a level of power that only the Queen seemed to be capable of producing. It operated in a way that was similar to the Teludav. She'd been weak when Nayni was being held prisoner but by now The Queen should've recovered enough to replenish her fleet.

Nayni shifted on her feet. She didn't like making shots in the dark like this but she was their best source of information on their enemy now.

"The Queen's the one that opens the rifts," Nayni said. "So maybe-she's not there anymore."

Her suggestion definitely terrified the Yellow Paladin. Hunk's eyes widened and he started fiddling with his fingers.

"Uh-so where did she go?" Hunk stammered. "And I mean-how can we know for sure? I mean she could just be doing spooky devil stuff. Oh God, you don't think she's like summoning an army of demons to come kill us or something do you?"

Nayni opened her mouth to speak but Lotor stepped forward. He had a grin on his face now. He rested a hand on Nayni's shoulder. She felt nothing. She thought his touch would've made her recoil but Lotor didn't have that effect on her anymore.

"Mayhaps that little pit stop you and Tomyko made brought all of this about?" Lotor said.

The way he looked at Nayni was a tad unsettling. He seemed very impressed with her. That look in his cold an eyes was so strange. He was hard to read but Nayni thought he seemed to have finally seen through her. It wasn't possible for Lotor to know exactly what had happened in The Advisor's chambers. She was just being paranoid. Lotor stroked his chin and his smirk only grew wider.

"The cause of this doesn't matter anymore," Lotor hissed. "It could be a trap but I don't think so. They're even weaker now. This is the time to strike."

Nayni had a promise to keep. She was terrified to face The Advisor again but it had to be done. He and The Queen had to be stopped. Lotor looked over the faces of the Paladins. He was eagerly awaiting their answer. Shiro looked back at the main monitor. His tuft of white hair fell in his face when he turned to speak.

"He's right," Shiro said. "We've already got the rebel forces with us, we have the Blades and the Terrapin. If we bring in a few more big guns, I think we've got this."

They all stared at the cluster of red blips on the green display. Hunk didn't seem sold on the idea.

"Yeah but if it's a trap then they're just gonna rip us in half with a rift," Hunk said.

Lotor found Hunk's paranoia to be rather amusing. He chuckled and brushed his silver hair away from his lavender face.

"If they could still open rifts, I'm sure they would've done so and brought in more warships," Lotor said.

He gestured to the main display.

"That clearly hasn't happened," Lotor said.

Allura stepped forward. She had that look of determination in her eye again. It was an expression that Nayni knew all too well. There would be no swaying the girl. The Princess had made her decision and nothing was going to stop her from taking that action.

"Let's end this," Allura said. "We need to stop them. They've pulled our attention away from Zarkon for too long. They've taken too many lives already. I can't allow this to keep going on."

The other Paladins nodded. This was it. This would finally be the end of it. They only had a vague idea of what they were diving into. It looked like this was the prime time. It could be a trap, as Hunk suspected, but if they had enough allies at their back, Voltron could win this. Voltron could finally bring justice to everyone that had fallen victim to the Queen's wrath. Nayni believed that down to her core. Allura's speech had actually drawn out a smile from Shiro.

"All right then," Shiro said. "Let's make the arrangements. We make our move tomorrow morning."

* * *

The view of Arus from the bridge was so serene and peaceful, but it did little to raise Coran's spirits. Voltron had been restored but so much had been lost. Thousands of years had slipped by while he and Allura were locked away in the sleep chambers. It had all been so overwhelming. He was grateful that he'd been able to distract himself by training the new Paladins. But during the quiet vargas of solitude, he couldn't escape the questions burning in his mind.

Alfor's contingency plan hadn't exactly gone the way it was supposed to. Coran had not expected so much time to have gone by. He hadn't followed the protocol that he'd initially planned to when he'd been revived. Alfor had wanted him to utilize every asset that he'd set aside for him and Allura. Coran wondered if these tools were still available.

They had Voltron. He had to keep reminding himself of that. As long as they had Voltron, there was still hope. Coran brought up the immense star map. The holographic blue stars and constellations filled up most of the bridge. He'd spent vargas running the calculations through his head. He'd double checked them with the Castle's systems. Even after all of that, he wasn't sure he had it right.

He typed the Ark's original coordinates into the main control panel. The star map rotated around him and zoomed into that sector of space. From such a distance he wasn't sure the Castle would be able to get an accurate scan of the star system. His heart raced as the Castle tried to scan the area. He felt a pang of disappointment when nothing appeared.

Coran input the calculations he'd done to accommodate the possibility of drift. After so much time it was very possible that the Ark was nowhere near where it had been. It could've passed through solar storms or barreled through asteroid fields. It had been designed to survive these things. It didn't really have the power to navigate very well. All of its power was meant to keep the sleep chambers going.

The Castle ran his calculations. The star map rotated again as it searched for the resulting coordinates. This was agonizing. Coran didn't have high hopes. So much of this hadn't gone the way Alfor had planned. He had told himself that having all the Alteans on that vessel would be helpful. They would be of great strategic value and their civilization could be restored. But the truth was so much more selfish. He only truly cared about one of them.

The star map came to a stop. Coran braced himself on the control panel as he waited for the scan to finish. Again, The Castle found nothing. Maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe he needed to redo his calculations. Maybe if he made some adjustments to the tracking algorithms he'd find something. It couldn't be gone. It had to be out there somewhere.

Coran paced back and forth on the bridge. His prominent nose was practically touching the surface of the datapad in his hand. He typed into the orange interface with such fervor. He hadn't eaten or slept. He'd spent most of the evening working on this. There were a million things to do around the Castle but this issue was the one that he felt the most pressure to address.

He rushed this next set of calculations. They weren't much different than what he'd previously come up with. He typed them into the control panel. The holographic stars flew past his face as the map rotated again. The map came to a stop and the Castle's systems expanded that sector of space. He had to wait through another tortuously long scan. He needed to know. He just needed an answer.

Coran already feared that the worst possibility had come to be. But knowing was better than being consumed with all these questions. He didn't want to walk around always wondering what had happened to the Ark. They were about to rekindle this rebellion against the Galra. He couldn't let anything distract him. He was the oldest person involved now. It would be up to him to guide the Princess and these young new Paladins.

The scan finished and this time something actually came up. Coran felt his chest grow tighter. Another window opened up on the star map. His eyes glazed over the Altean text and his heart sank. _One derelict vessel._ Coran took in a sharp breath. He leaned over the control panel. He buried his face in his hands. Coran had gone to great lengths to design the Ark to endure and survive. But even he couldn't predict how long it could've gone on. He had never thought that vessel would have to survive for ten thousand years.

He was shaking. They had lost everything. That round olive face danced across his mind and his ear twitched. Nayni was gone. If he hadn't been clinging to the control panel he would've been slumped on the floor. He'd gone into this knowing it was possible. As soon as Coran and the Princess had found out how much time had gone by, he knew this was likely. He'd just desperately hoped it wasn't the case.

He thought about the last time he saw her. She had such a look of sadness as she stood on the loading ramp of that shuttle. Coran had wanted her to come to him so badly. He ran his fingers through his fiery orange hair. His breath caught in his throat as he trembled. He never got to hold her. The last time he'd seen her up close was before she and Allura had left Altea. That hug had been platonic and not of the nature that he'd desired.

She asked him to take care of himself and he'd already been doing a rotten job of it. Nayni had always been looking out for him though. She wasn't here to do it now. He pulled himself away from the control panel. He stared at the report that the Castle still had on display. _One derelict vessel._ He imagined the lights of the Ark slowly flickering until they stopped coming on at all. He thought about all of the pods slowly shutting down. The glow of the sleep chambers would vanish as they all began to fail from lack of power.

At least she didn't have to feel anything. At least she got to slip away in peace. The pain was still unbearable. It felt like someone had driven a knife right through him. There had been so much potential and it was all lost. All the hopes he'd held for the future would never come to be. He'd spent so many nights during that awful war dreaming about the two them getting back to Altea. He'd wanted to grow old with her. He wanted so watch Allura become a grown woman with her. He wanted Nayni by his side when Allura finally found someone worthy of being her partner in life and got married. Maybe Nayni could've been that partner to him.

That was never going to happen. None of it would ever happen. Coran wanted to cry but it hurt so much that he couldn't let it out. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes but they just couldn't break free. Nayni had told him about this. She'd told him how it'd felt when she lost Tomyko. He thought if he'd ever felt such agony that he'd cry out. He didn't feel like making a sound. He bit down on his lip as the tears finally came. They were silent. His hand shook as he wiped them away from his face.

Coran took a deep breath. He typed into the control panel and the star map closed down. He saved the report from that sector and the Castle tucked the files away in some hidden corner of its memory banks. Coran stared off into space. All he had left of Nayni was the unspoken promise he'd made to her. She knew him well enough to know that she didn't need to ask that of him. He would've remained dedicated to Allura no matter what but now he'd do it for the both of them.

* * *

There was a good chance they might be dead tomorrow. Nayni was watching Coran run all of his system checks from the bridge. They were all alone while the others were going about their own business. She wasn't as anxious as she had expected to be. Nayni had just sort of accepted it. They were facing off against this powerful enemy. It would result in quite a bit of bloodshed. She was certain that Voltron would make it through but she didn't know what fate could befall the rest of them.

And after all the twists and turns that her life had taken Nayni was prepared for anything to happen. Coran glanced over at her. His warm, gentle smile brought her quite a bit of comfort. It always had. She'd always cherished it but now it had a whole new meaning. He smiled because she was here. She smiled too. She smiled because he was finally with her.

It hadn't been an easy ride but they'd managed to get here. Even if this battle was won and this enemy had been defeated they still had a universe to liberate. There was always something to be done until Zarkon was dead and gone for good. He leaned on the control panel and Nayni took in the sight of his lean muscles and that devilish grin. When they had first met, she'd watched him lean against a wall and flash that grin at many an Altean. All of them had blushed and giggled.

He'd tried that on her a couple of times. She'd only let herself blush after she thought he wasn't looking. Apparently, he'd always been looking though. She knew what it meant when he twirled the end of his mustache like that. Nayni tried to hold back the growing smirk on her face but it was pretty pointless.

"What is it, Coran?" Nayni pressed.

Coran still toyed with her but, she enjoyed the build up quite a bit now. They'd always teased each other but he'd always been far more talented at it than she was. He sauntered over to her. He just couldn't wipe that smug look from his face.

"So we're charging off to war tomorrow," Coran said. "We're facing off with one of the most powerful enemies we've ever encountered."

Nayni nodded.

"We could die," Nayni said.

Coran chuckled.

"You always assume the worst," Coran said.

He ran his finger along the curve of her jaw. She did always assume the worst but that had been her job her entire life. It was rather difficult for her to shake that habit. Besides, it was always a good idea to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. That way you'd either end up pleasantly surprised or fully equipped to deal with whatever turmoil came about. Coran was trying to put on a casual act. It was so forced that Nayni was fully aware that he wasn't exactly trying very hard.

"So, if we're to die tomorrow we should probably do our best to make tonight rather special," Coran said.

Nayni's ears tingled and flushed. She had expected this was what he was going to bring up but it still got her a tad flustered. She rocked back and forth on her heels like a teenage girl who'd just been asked to a gala.

"Yes, yes, I suppose we should," Nayni stammered.

That look in his eye was intoxicating. He could do anything he wanted to her. He just had to say the word. He tilted his head and took her hand in his.

"What have you always wanted to do? What have you been desiring for your whole life but were too scared to try?" Coran asked.

The tone of his voice was just oozing with a seductive quality. Nayni chuckled and shook her head. He was going to be rather disappointed with her answer.

"I've already done it," Nayni said. "I got to bed you."

He actually found her response to be rather satisfying. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him. Oh Groggery, this man still possessed the ability to make her completely dissolve in his arms.

"What about you?" Nayni asked coyly.

She used to get quite nervous when discussing these subjects with him but she'd gotten used to it. She'd come to find out that he was a bit of hedonist. It was a rather delightful discovery that had come to light. What was even more adorable was that fact that he was the one blushing now. It was most surprising.

"I'd always wanted to go skinny dipping and then have my way with whoever I was with," Coran admitted.

His ear twitched. Nayni chuckled. It wasn't because she was mocking him.

"I did that as a teenager actually," Nayni confessed. "My boyfriend and I took a buxom girl we both had our eye on. We took her to the pond on my family farm and ravished her."

Coran's jaw dropped. His cheeks and ears grew even redder. Nayni was feeling rather smug about it. She'd been a tad wild in her youth but it was something she never bragged about.

"Madame, I had no idea that you had that in you," Coran said.

Nayni just shrugged.

"So we'll meet at the pool in a varga then?" Nayni asked.

Coran smirked. He'd been so accommodating to her wants since they'd gotten together. It was nice to see things be reversed. She traced her hand across his chest and started to make her way off of the bridge.

"Don't be late, Mister Smythe," Nayni teased.

He actually ended up arriving early. Nayni was leaning against the sleek white walls of the pool area and staring up at the peaceful waters on the ceiling. Apparently, Lance and Keith hadn't understood how Altean pools worked. They didn't realize there was a switch that needed to be activated that would make the water descend. It was how they sanitized the water. The pillars surrounding it projected a wavelength of light that kept the water clean and free of any contaminants. Lance had explained that on Earth they'd just used a great deal of chemicals.

She felt a tad silly about this. She'd thought she was too old for this sort of thing but Coran had been making her feel a great deal younger as of late. He couldn't really contain his excitement when he entered the chamber. He hovered by the door's control panel and typed into it quickly. Nayni listened to the clank of the mechanisms of the lock come together. Coran flashed her a wink.

"We actually know the door is locked this time," Coran teased.

He wasn't going to let that one go. He'd be holding that over her head for quite some time now. Their footsteps echoed around the vast chamber. Nayni took note of that. She didn't want their activities being broadcasted to the entire Castle. They'd have to keep it down. Coran split off and adjusted the lighting in the room. The blue lights at the base of the sleek pillars dimmed. He always tried to set the same mood. She didn't mind as it was very effective.

Nayni flipped the switch on one of the pillars. She watched the floor open up and reveal the empty pool basin that had been hidden beneath. The crystal clear water descended from the ceiling as it went through the sanitation process. The water settled into the basin without a single drop being spilled around the outside. Nayni watched him saunter over to her.

She was already removing the pins from her bun. He just quietly started undoing the buttons of his shirt with that devilish grin on his face. No matter how many times this man disrobed Nayni would still find the sight of his bare chest to be one of the most tantalizing images she'd ever take in. Nayni shook her brown hair loose and the frizzy curls fell about her shoulders. He tossed his shirt to the side and started undoing the buttons of hers. Nayni reached for his belt. She still struggled a bit with taking it off but she'd been getting better with that.

Taking in the sight of his naked body was still so deeply satisfying. She wriggled her way out of her trousers. He'd already crawled into the pool. This was much more sanitary than the pond from the farm. It would be nice to not have the scaly eels swimming by her legs while she took him. The water wasn't ice cold either. She'd never really been keen on swimming. She hadn't exactly been confident with how her body looked in a swimsuit for quite a few years now.

She just idly tread water as he dove under. He looked so happy that she couldn't help but smile. He swam over to her. He peeked out from the surface of the water and blew bubbles like a little boy pretending to be a submarine. This seemed to bring him a childish glee. Nayni shook her head. He was an idiot but she loved him for it. He poked out of the water and took in a breath. His damp red hair was clinging to his pink flesh. Remarkably, his mustache remained perfectly styled. She had no idea how he accomplished that feat but it wasn't exactly surprising.

Coran grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against his hard body. He already looked quite hungry for her. He was usually so patient about these things.

"Is it everything you hoped for?" Nayni asked.

He pushed her up against the wall of the pool. Coran slid his hand between her thighs and Nayni gasped.

"Not quite yet, but I have a feeling that's about to change," Coran said.

Droplets of water were running down his prominent nose. He grabbed her by the neck and brought her in for a kiss. He ran his fingers through her mass of wet hair. When they passed over the threshold he pulled back. She could feel his hot breath on her lips as he let out a curse.

She kept her legs wrapped around him as she gripped on to the edge of the pool. He took in deep hungry breaths. They had most definitely completely contaminated the pool but the smile on his face outweighed that cost. His ears twitched as he let out a hearty chuckle. She ran her hands along the curve of his shoulder blades as she planted kisses on his cheek.

"I think it's safe to say that I can die a very happy man now," Coran declared.

She pulled him closer. She didn't want him to die. She didn't want to die either. The warm water was lapping against the edge of the pool and relaxed her.

"I love you too much to allow you to die now," Nayni said.

She meant it. If it came to it she'd die to protect him. It just might come to that if things didn't go well tomorrow. He nuzzled his face into her neck. An intense heat was radiating from his body. They bobbed in the water as he pressed his hand to her cheek. That familiar warmth and blue glow emanated from his palms. She ran her hand up the back of his neck and rested it on his head. The green hue of her life energy spread out from her hand. She could feel all of his warmth and love washing over her. She felt their fears mingle. She felt it melt away as they poured all of their love into each other.

They cradled each other as the warm waters swirled around them. No matter what happened they would always have this. They could carry this one moment of happiness for the rest of their lives or into the cold realm of death. But the strength and reassurance that Coran had flooded her with had erased all of her doubts. They would win. They had to win. With Voltron, they could not fail.

* * *

 _Author's Note: If you hadn't noticed we're in the home stretch now. I have planned the two last chapters. I will be releasing them in tandem._


	35. Hit Me Baby One More Time

They were about to make the jump. They had the army of the Coalition at their backs and Team Voltron to lead them. Coran had stolen away all of her fears. Nayni stood behind her control panel, ready to do everything she could to help bring The Advisor to his knees. Coran was finishing up prepping the Castle systems for the battle. Nayni watched his slender hands move deftly over the Castle controls. She'd made a decision last night that he wasn't aware of. But once this was all over he'd come to find out what it was.

Nayni watched the Lions flying in formation in front of them. They'd all had one final meeting before departing. The tone hadn't been as grim as Nayni been expecting. They all just seemed so filled with determination. The Paladins' courage was so infectious. She was just ready now. She was ready to watch them tear that Other Castle apart so they could get back to what really mattered: Zarkon.

She listened to the soft hum of the Teludav powering up. The violet and blue portal opened up in the inky blackness of space. Nayni felt such a burning sense of tenacity that she didn't think the jump sickness would hold her back. Their forces entered the undulating wormhole. Coran navigated the Castle through the passage with ease. When they emerged from the other side, the giant vessel lurched forward.

The twisted obsidian form of the Other Castle was floating before them. The sleek black dreadnoughts hovered around the capital ship. It was a substantial fleet but they weren't going to give up until every last one of them had been destroyed. The Lions and their allied ships all swarmed forward. The enemy fighters had already started pouring out of their ships.

Nayni felt that familiar chill run down the length of her spine. No. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her this time. Coran must've felt it too. When she looked over her shoulder, their eyes met. Coran waved his hand over the main display and his targets lit up in red. He flashed Nayni a smirk. Nayni flicked her hand over the various dials and switches. She watched the barrage of blue lasers rain down on their enemies.

The Terrapin vessels were already ramming into the Queen's dreadnoughts as the rebel ships unleashed their canons on them. The Blades ships weaved through clusters of fighters. They sliced through the fighters and left nothing but debris in the wake of their attacks. Lotor's ship dodged the laser fire from the Other Castle and swooped in to take out one of their drones. Once they'd finished off these warships, all of their fury would be focused on taking down the red barrier of the Other Castle.

The scarlet barrier that engulfed that twisted vessel was already dimmer than it had been in previous battles. It seemed to focus all of its attacks on the Castle's barrier. Its erratic tactics were nothing like the ones they witnessed from previous battles. It was as if a madman was manning the Other Castle's controls. She must've been right. She didn't know how or why but it seemed as if The Advisor was alone now.

Shiro didn't wait to give his order. Nayni watched the Lions soar upward in formation. They weaved around each other. Their parts shifted as they prepped to come together. She watched them be engulfed in that comforting blue light as Voltron finally formed. The superweapon had already deployed its sword and went barreling towards one of the dreadnoughts.

The Castle's defenses continued to fire off into the fray. Their blue barrier flickered every time one of the cannon rounds from the Other Castle slammed into the ship. Voltron flew past a sleek black dreadnought. It's glowing sword sliced the vessel in half. A chain of explosions lit up the battlefield as the ship was torn in half. The superweapon soared around the battlefield. Every dreadnought that hadn't been downed by their allies was being torn to shreds by Voltron. The last dreadnought fell and Voltron hovered before the Other Castle.

Nayni watched their allied ships all turn to face the twisted vessel. Voltron formed it's massive yellow cannon and unleashed a barrage of laser fire on the barrier. Sparks flew off of the red particle barrier as lasers of every conceivable color slammed into the flickering surface. The Other Castle had ceased firing. It's stagnation left Nayni with a sinking feeling.

She watched the Castle's blue lasers slamming into the enemy's barrier. Their allies wouldn't let up. The scarlet barrier of the Other Castle flickered for the last time and it vanished. The Terrapin ships charged forward. They rammed into the more delicate parts of the vessel and smashed off chunks of the hull. Still, the Other Castle did nothing. Nayni looked back at Coran with a look of concern.

"Something is amiss," Nayni said.

Her lover's violet eyes narrowed. Coran leaned over to face the communications monitor.

"Be careful guys, something doesn't seem right," Coran said.

Before Shiro or any of the Paladins could respond the Other Castle turned. Its engines roared as it dove right through their allies. Nayni watched in horror as some of the allied ships went up in flames. The Other Castle came barreling right for them. The massive, twisted vessel was going to ram them. Nayni braced herself on the control panel.

Voltron swooped forward. Its massive sword had deployed. The superweapon soared along the side of the Other Castle and sliced through the thick hull. Red flames exploded from the Other Castle. The massive vessel bucked and swerved but it was still on a collision course. Coran pulled back on the Castle's controls. Nayni felt her stomach churn as the vessel dove downward. The nose of the Castle was pointed directly towards the surface of the planet below them. The Castle shook as the Other Castle rammed into their rear.

A flurry of red errors messages exploded across the main display and the Castle's alarms started to blare. The Castle shook violently as it descended towards the surface of the rocky red planet. Sweat was beading up on Coran's forehead as he struggled to keep the vessel stable. Nayni's eyes widened as the black silhouette of the Other Castle appeared next to them. It swerved to the side and rammed them again. Coran maintained his footing as he gripped onto the Castle's control panel. The surface of the planet was rushing towards them as they descended to the ground at an alarming speed.

Voltron swooped in again. It slid between the two vessels. It rammed into the Other Castle with its shield. The Red Lion's laser fired off and ripped open another gash along the ship's hull. The Other Castle started to spiral towards the surface of the planet. Black smoke trailed behind it as it was engulfed in red flames.

Coran pulled back on the Castle's controls. The ship rumbled as he steadied it and tried to decrease its speed. He managed to steady the vessel. It still jerked when he brought it in for a landing. Nayni fell as the Castle made landfall. Red lights continued to flash on the bridge. She watched as the Other Castle spiraled and slammed into the jagged surface of a rock outcropping. She could barely make out the shape of it due to the thick smoke that had engulfed the vessel.

Coran had run up behind her. She felt his strong grasp on her arm. He pulled her back up on her feet. He was shaking. They watched Voltron land on the ground in front of them. It hovered around the smoldering remnants of the Other Castle. It couldn't be over yet. It couldn't have been that easy.

"Are you all right?" Coran pressed.

He sounded breathless. That didn't really matter right now. The main display was lit up with warnings. Several sections of the Castle were apparently on fire.

"Yes," Nayni said. "But we've got more important things to deal with than fretting about me."

Coran kept a firm grip on her as he dragged her back to the main control panel. He typed into the controls and initiated the deployment of fire suppressants. Nayni still could not shake that feeling creeping up her spine. She watched Voltron swerve around the Other Castle.

"We're going to scan for any signs of life," Shiro's voice crackled over the transmission module.

The Castle was in shambles but Coran would be able to get it back together. He stepped away from the control panel and looked over the main display as some of the error messages vanished. Coran's fiery orange hair was a bit disheveled but he appeared to be unscathed. The transmission module crackled with loud static.

"We're not picking up anything," Shiro said. "Maybe we di-"

All of the systems turned off. The lights of the bridge went black. The Castle's power had been cut off. Nayni's heart started to hammer in her chest. She gulped as she looked up at Coran. The Castle had been damaged but not to the point that it could've lost power on its own. A chill crept into the bridge. Nayni shuddered as she felt the icy air on the back of her neck. Coran looked around the room as he held onto her.

"How?" Coran stammered.

He felt it too. He already knew.

"I don't know," Nayni said.

They hadn't prepared for this possibility because they had never imagined that something like this would happen. Nayni didn't have her particle shield or her blaster. Without any power, the Castle's internal defenses wouldn't be able to function. They were completely vulnerable.

"We have to get out here," Nayni said. "We have to get to Voltron before he finds us."

Coran seemed much calmer than she was but he hadn't seen The Advisor face to face. He hadn't felt the frigid touch of those hands on his flesh. Nayni could already feel that fear taking hold of her heart. Her chest was tightening up.

Coran seized her by the hand and he sprinted to the archway off the bridge. The doors didn't open. They both grabbed the emergency latch and started to pry the doors open. Nayni's boots slipped on the ground. The muscles of her arms burned as they tugged the doors open. They managed to part them enough so they could slide through. Coran pushed her through to the other side. The hallway was pitch black. The air was so cold that her teeth were chattering. She couldn't see Coran but she could feel his firm, warm grip on her shoulder.

She felt as if she was blind. She was trembling. Coran leaned forward. She could feel his hot damp breath on the side of her face.

"We'll get out of here," Coran insisted. "I know every nook and cranny of this vessel. I don't need any quiznacking lights to navigate."

She believed him. Nayni grabbed his hand. She stayed as close to his side as she possibly could. The halls were silent. Nayni couldn't even hear their footsteps. The temperature of the air was the only thing that changed. It kept growing colder and colder. The tips of her ears and nose had started to go numb.

Coran pulled her around a corner. She brushed her shoulder along the surface of the wall. She was consumed with shock. She didn't know how The Advisor had accomplished this but it was such a brilliant tactic. Voltron couldn't attack the Castle. They couldn't destroy the vessel that they relied on to traverse the galaxy. The Advisor had transformed their fortress into the perfect trap.

Coran started kicking a wall panel in the hallway. The sound echoed off the walls. With every loud bang, Nayni cringed. The thin plate of metal clattered on the ground and Coran pushed it to the side. Nayni could barely detect a faint glow of light from the tunnel that opened up. He wrapped his arm around her waist and herded her forward. The air in the tunnel smelled musty. It was cramped and she could feel thick cables running along the wall. It must've been one of the maintenance tunnels.

She felt Coran's hand on her back. He let out a cry. Nayni whirled around. She saw the faint red glow from The Advisor's eyes. He'd seized Coran by the arm and pulled him back. He was scrambling along the floor to get away from him. Nayni was so overcome with rage that she leaped for him.

She slammed into The Advisor and pushed him against the wall. He felt like a solid hunk of ice. She started driving her fist towards his face. He grabbed her by the wrist before her knuckles could collide with his nose. All she could make out in the din was that twisted silver grin. Nayni struggled to free herself from his grip. He leaned forward, she could feel the tip of his cold nose brushing against hers.

"I'm going to make you watch him burn to a crisp," The Advisor hissed.

Nayni kneed him in the groin. She pulled back her other fist and slammed it into his jaw. Coran grabbed her and yanked her back down the maintenance tunnel. They squirmed their way down the cramped tunnel as quickly as they could. Nayni kept glancing behind them. She heard the sound of crackling lightning and The Advisor's roar of outrage. Coran came to a stop and she stumbled into him.

She heard the loud pang of his foot as he tried to kick down the panel on the other side. Nayni couldn't stop trembling. She watched that soft red glow fade away in the distance. He was stalking them like a predator. She wished he was still behind them. She wished she could still hear him creeping through the darkness. That was easier than not knowing where he was.

At any moment he could strike out from the darkness and snatch either of them. The wall panel crashed forward. It flew against the wall of the next hallway. Coran stepped out into the darkness. She could still see nothing. All she had to rely on was the feeling of the cold walls and the heat that was radiating off of him. They had no coms system. They had no way to reach the others. Nayni just had to hope that they were coming.

Coran rushed down the hallway. His grip on Nayni's hand was so tight that she thought the bones of her fingers were going to snap. The icy wind flew by her ears as they sprinted down the dark hallway. Nayni thought she heard the sound of breathing in her ear. Her head whipped around but she saw nothing except darkness behind her. Coran yanked her forward and she stumbled.

"You can't hide from me, Nayni!" The Advisor roared.

His voice filled the hallway like a clap of thunder. Coran kept running. He kept charging forward and she was hot on his heels.

"Tomyko's neck was so slender. It was so easy to squeeze the life out of her," The Advisor hissed.

Nayni closed her eyes. She tried to just focus on the warmth of Coran's hand.

" _His_ neck looks like it'd be easy to snap too," The Advisor said. "But I won't let his death be that easy."

It sounded as if he was right next to them. She could almost feel his hand caressing the back of her neck. But there was no red light in the darkness. There was just the sound of his disembodied voice and their boots pounding on the ground as they raced down the hall. Coran skidded to a stop. He grabbed Nayni's hand a shoved it on another emergency latch.

Nayni and Coran tugged on the doors. She yanked back with all of her might. They both were grunting and panting as they struggled with the doors.

"You and _that witch_ took everything from me," The Advisor seethed.

The doors clanged as they finally pried them open. Coran pushed Nayni through the narrow opening. She had no idea where they were. She just could feel that the floor beneath her feet was on a steep incline. She heard the sound of Coran tugging on the handle of the zip line above them. It didn't budge. He cursed under his breath. She gripped onto his hand as they started to creep down the ramp.

"I'm going to take everything from you," The Advisor cackled.

Red lightning erupted along the walls. Coran wrapped his arms around her and pulled her away. He lost his footing and they tumbled down the rampway. Nayni cried out as her shoulder slammed into the hard surface of the ground. The lightning that licked along the walls lit up the zip line with the brightness of a sun. They rolled down the ramp until they slammed into a wall. Coran moaned. She felt a warm trickle of blood running down her forehead.

Coran braced himself on the wall and she trembled as she got back up. Nayni looked back at the zip line's tunnel. The lightning had vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. Coran's hand was shaking as he pulled her forward. The Advisor's cackled echoed through out the empty halls.

"You can't escape me, Nayni," The Advisor hissed. "I snapped The Queen's neck. I ended her life and I'll end the lives of everyone you love."

Nayni had been right. The shock of it only filled her with more terror. He'd killed The Queen. He'd killed the person that he had followed for thousands of years. He was the only one left now but after this discovery she was afraid of the power that he possessed. Coran tugged on Nayni's arm and yanked her back to his side.

"Come on," Coran whispered. "We can't stop moving."

They staggered down the hallway. He was limping. Nayni pulled his arm around her shoulder and tried to heft him up against her. They weren't fleeing with the same speed now. Nayni thought she heard The Advisor's footsteps behind them. She was too scared to look behind them now. She didn't want to see that face creeping towards them in the darkness. Coran was desperately trying to catch his breath.

"We're almost there," Coran wheezed. "We'll make it."

This was the most fear Nayni had ever felt. They were both injured and crawling down this hallway and he still was brave enough to comfort her. Her heart was pounding as they struggled down the hallway. Coran let out a grunt of pain. He clutched at his thigh. He was taking in desperate hungry breaths when they reached the end of the tunnel.

"Grab the latch," Coran panted.

Nayni groped around on the icy surface of the wall until her fingers laced around the clunky mechanism. It took even more effort for them to pry this door open. They both grunted as they tried to pull apart the massive set of doors. Nayni's boots kept slipping on the slick surface of the floor as she pulled.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that dim red glow emerging behind them. She started to panic and tugged on the latch more desperately. Nayni squirmed as she and Coran pried the doors apart. A thin beam of white light was starting to spill into the dark hallway. The Advisor's cackles were echoing through the hallway. She saw his gnarled hands light up like a flare as the red lightning danced between his fingers. He looked ravenous.

The doors screeched as they finally pulled them open. Nayni felt like the muscles in her arms were going to tear. She watched The Advisor raise up his hand. She watched lightning spilling forth from his hands and race down the hall. Nayni gasped. She pushed Coran out into the light. She stumbled forward. Her feet slipped on the floor. It had given The Advisor just the amount of time he needed.

It felt like a knife was being thrust through her spine when the lightning hit her. The sharp pain shot through her limbs. It felt like a hammer had just come crashing down on her head. Nayni clenched her jaw. She felt like she was on fire. She grabbed the edges of the doors and pulled herself out. She could feel the rush of the hot air flooding over her.

She felt Coran wrap his arms around her. He pulled her along the floor of the hangar. His arms were shaking from the strain. She felt his injured leg quivering as he dragged it across the floor. The Advisor clawed his way out from between the doors. His eyes were burning with hatred. His face was gnarled up with rage. He wrenched himself from the passage and ran out into the middle of the hangar.

The Blue Lion slammed onto the floor. The chamber rumbled as it's feet met with the ground. Nayni watched its massive blue head hover over them. Its jaws flung open and it's massive beam erupted out. She watched as the blue laser engulfed The Advisor. His body contorted into an unnatural position as the laser slowly ate away at his flesh. Nayni watched as he disintegrated into a pile of ashes.

The Blue Lion closed its jaws. Coran and Nayni clung to each other. Her heart was still racing. She stared at the smoldering pile of ashes on the floor. Whisps of grey smoke crept up from the pile. It looked just like a campfire that had been stamped out. Nayni gasped. She still couldn't believe what she had just seen. Coran pulled her closer. They were both drenched in sweat. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

They looked up at the Blue Lion. It had been Lurie. Her little Princess had saved them. Nayni let out a laugh. She clung to Coran and rocked back and forth. That monster was just a pile of dust. The most terrifying being that Nayni had ever encountered was gone. Allura had reduced him to ash within one single moment. Hot tears were rolling down her cheeks. They'd come so close to failure. She'd come so close to losing Coran. She gripped onto the fabric of his shirt and buried her face in his chest. They'd come so close to death but Nayni had kept her promise to Tomyko.


	36. Unwritten

Nayni tore open the door to the storage closet. She rummaged through the dusty supplies. Her hands were already shaking. She didn't need to be so nervous. She was fairly certain of how this was going to turn out but she just couldn't contain herself. Nayni yanked the hover stool out from the back of the closet. It was a bit cumbersome. She brushed off some of the dust and examined it. She gave it a firm tap and it's lights flickered on.

Nayni slammed the door to the closet shut. She tucked the hover stool under her arm and started down the hallway. It was much nicer to have the Castle up and running again. It made it easier for her to try and forget the horrendous ordeal they'd gone through. They still had no idea how The Advisor had gotten onto the Castle. But he was an entity that possessed an ancient supernatural power that they never would truly understand. Her heart was starting to race again. She'd thought facing off with The Advisor had been the most horrifying moment of her life but she was starting to question that now. She felt like she was going to soil herself.

Nayni walked briskly down the hallway as she rehearsed her little speech in her head. Nothing seemed like the right thing to say. No words seemed to convey exactly what she wanted to. Nayni tried to take some deep breaths to calm herself but it was fruitless. The anxiety wasn't going to cease until she'd finally done this. She'd never thought she'd be here. She had never in her wildest dreams thought that this would ever be a possibility.

Nayni rounded a corner. Hunk was standing in the hallway. Quiznack. She tried to stuff the hover stool behind her back but he'd already noticed. Hunk looked her up and down and furrowed his brow. The Yellow Paladin towered over her. Even if she had managed to hide this stupid thing behind her back he would've just had to tilt his head to see over her. Hunk raised an eyebrow.

"Uh-what're you doing?" Hunk asked.

Nayni scowled.

" _Things_ ," Nayni said.

Well, she was going to do _a thing_. She was going to do a thing that she'd decided to after that night she'd spent in the pool with Coran. Hunk just pursed his lips.

"Why do you need a stool?" Hunk pried.

Nayni let out a sigh of frustration. She could go nowhere on this Castle without the Paladins questioning her. They always had to know what was going on. They were always interested. She didn't mind most of the time but she was very adamant that they not be involved this time. This part of her plan needed to be executed in private. Nayni clenched her jaw.

"I need it to reach something high up, obviously," Nayni snapped.

He smirked and Nayni pushed past him. She looked over her shoulder and shot him a dirty look.

"Now leave me alone," Nayni growled.

She hoped that would be enough to drive him away. He just watched her as she stormed down the hallway. Her chest felt tight from the anxiety and the anticipation. She felt with all her heart that this was what she wanted but it was still absolutely terrifying. She kept jiggling her legs as she took the elevator up to the bridge. The closer she drew to it, the more she felt like wetting herself.

She stumbled off of the elevator. She stared at the archway to the bridge. Nayni bit on her bottom lip. She looked at the hover stool clutched in her hands. Her hands were already shaking uncontrollably. Nayni took some deep breaths. She let out a sigh and stepped through the archway.

Coran was working with the main control panel. He was toying with the end of his mustache as he looked over the main display. He'd had a lot of work to do after their battle. The Castle had been in a dire state but he'd managed to piece it back together. Nayni felt bile creeping up her throat. She wasn't sure if she was about to cry or squeal with excitement. Well, she couldn't let that happen yet. She needed to keep herself together at least until the end of this.

Nayni crept up behind Coran. She was already sweating and her heart was pounding in her chest. She could feel her pulse in her neck it was pounding so furiously. She set down the hover stool and adjusted its height. Her knees were quivering as she stepped up. Coran looked her up and down and his eyes widened. Now that she was on the stool she could look him right in the eye. They were on equal footing. This was what Altean tradition called for before she could ask him this question. Nayni gulped. Coran's lips parted and a little smile curled up at the edges of his lips.

"Nayni-" Coran stammered.

Nayni held up her hand to silence him. She was trembling so much that she promptly shoved it behind her back. Nayni went rigid. This was it. This was actually happening.

"Mister Coran Hieronymous Wimbleton Smythe," Nayni began.

She had to take a moment to collect herself.

"It would be my honor if you became my partner in life," Nayni stammered. "Nothing would bring me more joy than spending the rest of our days together as equals."

She was already choking up. She was trying to stick to tradition and those old formalities. If she didn't she was going to lose it.

"I want to face all the challenges of life with you," Nayni said. "W-would you-would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Nayni had never done this. She'd never thought this would happen. Tomyko had been the one to ask her. That's why she'd taken Tomyko's last name. A partner always took on the last name of the one who made the proposal. Tomyko had knelt down and looked Nayni in the eye. She'd given this same speech. Nayni had cried a great deal and accepted her offer. Now she was asking Coran. She'd never expected to have the courage to do this. Especially not with him. She never thought she'd have the opportunity to ask him this.

Coran's eyes started to glisten with tears. A smile crept across his face. Nayni's cheeks were flushed with the anticipation of it all. He took her hand in his and gazed into her eyes. She thought she was going to swoon.

"I would love nothing more than to become Coran Hieronymous Wimbleton Smythe _Nordontu_ ," Coran said.

Nayni grabbed him and pulled him closer. Tears were streaming down her face as she kissed him. She stumbled off of the hover stool and he caught her in his arms. She was shaking from the overwhelming joy of this moment now. She couldn't stop planting kisses all over his gorgeous face. They both devolved into a fit of laughter. Nayni couldn't stop shaking. She was smiling so much that her cheeks hurt.

"Maybe I'll just take your last name," Nayni giggled. "Yours is already too much of a mouthful. I know that would be rather scandalous though."

There wasn't really much pressure anymore to cling to those old traditions. Coran cupped her face in his hands. She was already melting to his touch again. She wanted to do that for the rest of her life. She heard the sound of a sob from behind them. Nayni whirled around. All of the Paladins were gathered in the archway. Of course. Of quiznacking course, Hunk had brought them along. She remembered how she'd explained to him and Pidge about Altean marriage proposals. He must've figured out what she was doing as soon as he saw the stool.

Shiro was sobbing and wiped the tears and snot away from his face. Lance looked at the Black Paladin with a great deal of shock.

"Dude seriously?" Lance said.

Shiro's bottom lip was still quivering as he shot Lance a dirty look.

"Shut up, it's beautiful," Shiro snapped.

Allura pushed past them and came running towards Coran and Nayni. She engulfed the two of them in her slender arms. The other Paladins piled on. The bridge filled with their excited chatter and congratulations. Shiro kept sniffling while the Paladins slowly crushed them to death with their affection. Nayni didn't mind. She loved the lot of them. She loved them as if they were her own children now.

* * *

Coran had thoroughly enjoyed planning the wedding. Nayni hadn't exactly been surprised by that. He'd always loved planning the big events around the Royal Palace and so she knew he'd be overjoyed to plan this for the two of them. He'd tried to mix in some of the wedding traditions from Earth. She'd been very keen on that. She felt like the Paladins were a part of her life now too. And she didn't want that changing anytime soon.

Coran had found an obscure little moon that had a landscape very similar to Altea's. They'd set up in a rolling field of emerald grass. Purple mountains with snowy caps were off in the distance. They were shrouded in the thin veil of white clouds. Bright yellow flowers were spread out across the vast meadow and swayed in the breeze. Their pleasant scent filled the air. The blue sky above them was slowly fading into shades of pink and orange as the two suns set.

Nayni watched Lance and Allura dancing under the glow of the lanterns they'd strung up. Hunk was showing off his exquisite cake to Pidge and Keith. Shiro was watching Lotor very closely. Nayni had asked that the Galra Prince be invited. If it hadn't been for his mercy she wouldn't be here. He didn't seem terribly happy that he'd actually chosen to come. Matt was looking on at Lance and Allura with quite a bit of jealousy.

Coran had draped his arm over Nayni's shoulder. The outfit he'd put together was just as flamboyant as Nayni had expected. It was a marvelous glittering green suit. It's coattails were swaying in the gentle breeze. A silken, oversize green scarf was tucked into his vest. Tomyko had worn a green dress at their wedding. She'd worn the color of Nayni's markings and Nayni had worn a suit that was the same shade of pink as hers. Now Nayni was clad in the same blue of Coran's markings. That was one Altean tradition that she had still wanted to honor. Nayni didn't look good in white and Coran thought a black tuxedo was too boring.

Nayni tugged on the hem of her simple blue dress. The bright hue was a rather flashy change for her. Coran had been surprised when she'd chosen a dress but she'd wanted to feel like one of those insipid maidens from her teledramas today. This was just as sugary sweet of an ending as one of those stupid things anyway. Coran nuzzled his face to her neck again. She felt the bristly hairs of his mustache tickling her skin. He hadn't been able to keep his hands off of her since the ceremony.

" _Misses Nordontu Smythe_ ," Coran said.

He'd kept saying that over and over. She didn't mind. Nayni smiled and brushed a stray brown curl away from her olive face.

" _Mister Nordontu Smythe_ ," Nayni said.

She liked how that rolled off her tongue. Groggery forbid if anyone had to say his full name now. Coran was pretty excited to tack on another surname though. He grinned and pulled her closer. He planted a kiss on her cheek and Nayni's ears flushed. He gestured to Lance and Allura. The Princess looked rather lovely with her silver hair swaying around her. Lance seemed rather overwhelmed with the sight of her in that flowing periwinkle dress. Nayni thought he looked rather strapping in his simple blue suit too.

"Do you think they'll end up like us someday?" Coran asked.

Nayni honestly didn't know. They were still so young but they seemed rather happy. Hopefully, they didn't waste as many years as Nayni had. Lance had already stopped that from happening as soon as he'd opened up to the Princess.

"Well, I did threaten the two of them," Nayni said.

Coran raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" Coran teased.

Nayni smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

"I told him if he broke her heart that I'd confiscate all of his CDs," Nayni said. "And I told her that if she broke his heart that I'd have her confined to her quarters for a month."

Nayni folded her arms across her chest and grinned. Coran seemed a tad surprised.

"No threats of death or bodily harm?" Coran asked.

Nayni chuckled and he planted another kiss on her cheek. He was bold enough to nibble on her earlobe a bit and she felt the tips of her ears and cheeks flush with heat. She was already pretty eager to get to the bedding portion of the all of this nonsense. But that wouldn't come until the sun had set and everyone had their fill of cake and merriment.

She rested her head on Coran's shoulder as she watched the Paladins. Lance put on a rather raunchy song to dance to and Shiro was scolding him. Keith was trying to sneak his fourth slice of Hunk's cake. They still had an entire Galra empire to overthrow. There was a lot of fighting and a lot of struggle they had ahead of them but Nayni knew the Paladins could do it. She knew without a doubt now that they would liberate the universe. She hadn't noticed that Coran was ogling her. He seemed to find the smile on her face to be the most beautiful sight in the universe. The Paladins' story had begun long before she arrived and they still had quite a way to go on their journey.

"We've got ourselves quite the nice family don't we?" Coran said.

That's exactly what they were. They were too ruggling old to have their own children but it was all right. They had acquired over half a dozen strays to fill that hole. Nayni held his hand. She stroked his knuckles and looked down at the smooth surface of his pink flesh.

"Yes we do, Mister Nordontu Smythe," Nayni said.

He slid his hand down the small of her back and squeezed her rump. Nayni would've slapped his hand away if he hadn't done it with such stealth. He twirled the end of his mustache and grinned.

"We shouldn't let all these young ones stop us from at least _attempting_ to reproduce," Coran teased. "Maybe multiple times a night."

Nayni's cheeks and ears flushed. It wasn't physically possible for them anymore but they were still quite capable of enjoying themselves. She couldn't hide the sly smile on her face.

"Maybe we should get back to the Castle and give that a shot," Nayni said. "It seems like quite the pressing matter."

They both looked to the Paladins. It didn't seem that they'd notice if they slipped away. Coran bowed with a great flourish and held out his hand to her. When Nayni responded with a curtsy he was quite taken aback. His face reddened and she took him by the hand. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure none of the Paladins had noticed them trying to make their escape. Coran leaned over and she felt his mustache tickling her ear.

"I can't wait to tear that dress off of you," Coran said. "-And attempt to break my record again."

Nayni didn't know if she'd be able to handle him fifteen times but she was more than willing to give it a shot. Nayni ran her finger along the square line of his jaw. He shuddered with delight.

"You're a filthy scoundrel but I love you," Nayni said.

* * *

Allura had asked Shiro to stay behind with Coran on the Castle while they checked out the Ark. Coran knew why. He could tell by the way the Princess had looked at him. Coran was hovering near the communications module. He kept trying to calm himself down. The scans he'd run a few years ago had been from such a distance that maybe they hadn't been accurate. Maybe there was still a chance that Nayni was alive. He felt selfish for thinking that way. If any Altean was still alive it would be a precious gift.

When Lotor had contacted them with this deal, Coran couldn't help but let the hope overcome him. They'd been hesitant to go through with it. Allura thought the coordinates must be fake but Coran was willing to take the risk. He would've flown out to those coordinates himself if it had come down to it.

The view from the bridge wasn't exactly promising. The Ark was barely a shadow of the grand vessel it had once been. It looked charred and lifeless. There wasn't a single light on that vessel. Without the illumination of the sun and stars, it would've just looked like any other asteroid that was tumbling through the vacuum of space.

Coran just kept staring at the communications monitor. This wait was awful. He knew it was dangerous to get this hopeful but he couldn't help it. There had been something in the tone of Lotor's voice that made him believe they were going to find something on the Ark. Lotor seemed so smug and certain that this deal would work out in his favor. That assured tone had planted a little seed of hope in Coran's heart.

Shiro rested a hand on Coran's shoulder. Coran looked up from the monitor at the Black Paladin. Shiro's brow was furrowed. Coran must've gotten him rather concerned with his strange behavior.

"You're pretty worked up," Shiro said. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Coran actually did. Shiro was the oldest of the Paladins. Coran still had quite a few years on him but he felt comfortable enough to open up to him.

"I'm hoping there's a very particular Altean on that ship," Coran confessed.

Shiro nodded. He didn't seem surprised. Allura must've already discussed this with him. Coran's ears twitched and he looked back at the monitor.

"I know it's not very likely but-" Coran said.

Shiro ran his fingers through the white tuft of hair on his head.

"-It would be nice," Shiro finished for him.

Coran nodded. It wouldn't just be nice. It would be the greatest thing that could ever possibly happen. It would give him a second chance with Nayni that he thought he'd never get. Things on the Ark looked so grim though. The possibility that she was alive was so astronomical that he knew it was foolish to get his hopes up. Shiro leaned against the control panel and folded his arms across his chest.

"Well for what it's worth, I hope they survived too," Shiro said.

Coran kept fidgeting. He just couldn't sit still. He was so afraid that this would all be for naught. No matter what they found on that Ark he needed to be prepared for it. He had to be ready for disappointment. But if he wasn't disappointed, he had no idea what he would do. He knew that there were thousands of things he wanted to say to her. There was so much that they'd left unaddressed but if she was still alive that might all be rather overwhelming. He was getting ahead of himself already.

He couldn't dwell on that. If he got his hopes up that would just make things that much more miserable if they found nothing or someone else. Coran chewed on his bottom lip as he tried to fend off the thoughts running through his head. His ears perked up when he heard Pidge's voice crackle over the communicator.

"Looks like Lotor's intel was right, Coran, we found a survivor," Pidge said.

Coran's heart ceased to beat for a few tiks. His eyes widened. Please by King Groggery's spirit let it be her. Let it be that beautiful stout woman. He'd give anything to see her round face and those green markings and olive skin. He'd give anything to see her frizzy brown hair pulled back in that bun that she'd worn for years. He went rigid and looked at Shiro.

The Black Paladin patted him on the back and smiled warmly. The communicator remained silent. It was inducing such anxiety for him. Allura could at least tell him who she found. She obviously knew who it was. Why hadn't she said anything? Why didn't she just tell him who it was so the torture could stop? He just needed to know. He needed his hopes to be crushed right now if that was the case.

Coran felt the cold touch of Shiro's cybernetic prosthesis on his back. He looked up at the Black Paladin.

"It's all right, Coran," Shiro said. "No matter who it is, it'll be great to have another Altean around."

He was right. Coran tried to collect himself. He didn't want to look like an anxious mess when the new arrival came around. It didn't matter who it was, he couldn't come off as a disheveled old man. His focus shifted from the communications display to the one that monitored the status of the hangar. Coran felt like he was on the edge of his seat as he waited for the Lions to return. When they came to land in the hangar, Coran held his breath.

He watched the monitor as the Paladins each exited their Lions. So far it was just the same familiar faces. Allura still hadn't departed from the Blue Lion. His gaze was fixed on that pixelated image on the screen. He watched Allura walk down the loading ramp from the Lion's mouth. She was hand in hand with that familiar short and plump silhouette. The cogs of the ever-shifting stars and planets all came to a stop when he looked at her. If he hadn't been gripping on to the control panel so tightly he would've fallen apart.

Coran whirled around and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Shiro, how do I look?" Coran pressed.

Shiro looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow. The Black Paladin was rather confused.

"Uh-you look the same?" Shiro said.

Coran wrinkled his nose. He wasn't going to be any help at all. Coran started to pace back and forth. He kept straightening out his uniform and fiddling with the edge of his mustache to make sure it was curled just right. Shiro looked at Coran as if the Altean had been possessed by some supernatural entity.

"Coran, are you sure you don't need to get something off of your chest?" Shiro pried.

There was quite a bit that Coran needed to vent about. He was so overwhelmed with emotion that he didn't know what to do. What would he say to her? It was so inconceivable that this had happened but it had. It was happening right now. Nayni and Allura were making their way to the bridge right now. Coran bit down on his bottom lip. The sharp pain helped keep him grounded in the moment.

He was about to come face to face with a woman that he'd believed dead. Coran was going to look Nayni in the eye again for the first time in thousands of years. He'd taken great joy in getting this woman flustered over the course of their lives and that shallow flirtation had slowly evolved into something deeper. Coran looked down at his palms and a smile crept across his face.

He didn't know how this would unfold but the universe had finally gifted him with a little piece of happiness. Anything could happen now. Coran and Nayni had beaten all the odds and they were about to be reunited. He still didn't know how he'd finally tell her the words that he so desperately wanted to. He had no idea how this was going to change things. But all of the possibilities that had been robbed from him had now returned. Just to have that bit of hope back meant more to him than anything else in the universe.

* * *

 _Author's Note: I'm kind of sad to say goodbye to this fic but it was a pleasant journey writing it. I hope it was just as enjoyable for others. Ever since I saw the episode from the original series where Coran and Nanny were reunited I wanted to adapt that chemistry for Legendary Defender. It's been a nice ride. I want to thank everyone who gave this a read or left a review. That feedback means a lot to me. Shout out to my boyfriend who let me bounce ideas off of him and was also my number one fan._


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